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hottest periods of the year<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The rite, which began on 26 July this year, will see pilgrims navigating desert climates of over 40 degrees Celsius during the day.<\/p>\n<p>The majority of rituals take place outdoors in the desert, including climbing the Mount of Mercy and stoning the Jamarat, a row of pillars representing the devil.<\/p>\n<p>To avoid heatstroke, sun hats are key. Pilgrims often opt for wide-brimmed straw hats or even cowboy hats.<\/p>\n<p>Alternatively, many bring umbrellas or balance their prayer mats on their heads.<\/p>\n<p>All men are required to wear simple white robes without any stitching, a rule aimed at uniting rich and poor.<\/p>\n<p>Women must cover their hair but have more freedom to wear fabrics from their native countries, resulting in a colourful display of Islam\u2019s multiculturalism.<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2021//10//25//the-ultimate-guide-to-the-best-outdoor-clothes-and-gear-on-the-market-right-now/">footwear, it\u2019s best to wear something that\u2019s durable for the long walks but that also slips on and off easily, as pilgrims must remove their shoes before entering Mecca\u2019s Grand Mosque.<\/p>\n<p>Sandals are sensible, but some pilgrims say it\u2019s best also to wear socks as the mosque\u2019s marble floor can be surprisingly cold as they walk around the Kaaba seven times.<\/p>\n<h2>What to bring on a Hajj pilgrimage<\/h2><p>A daypack of some kind is essential for carrying food, water, <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2022//11//14//want-spf-protection-without-the-harmful-chemicals-try-one-of-these-mineral-sun-creams/">sunscreen and toiletries. But <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2022//12//23//save-time-and-avoid-the-chaos-heres-how-i-packed-for-a-week-away-with-only-hand-luggage/">backpacks can be a hassle when you\u2019re crammed shoulder-to-shoulder.<\/p>\n<p>Far more popular are cross-body bags that you can access without turning around.<\/p>\n<p>Many pilgrims also carry a separate drawstring bag or pouch for their shoes. Usually at mosques, you can leave your shoes with an attendant at the entrance.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7690602,7112172\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2022//10//13//airtags-smart-bags-and-lithium-batteries-airlines-electronic-rules-explained/">AirTags, smart bags and lithium batteries: Airlines\u2019 electronic rules explained<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2023//06//20//what-is-bikepacking-europes-latest-adventure-travel-trend-and-where-to-try-it/">What is bikepacking? Europe\u2019s latest adventure travel trend and where to try it<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>But with hundreds of thousands of people flocking to the Grand Mosque, it\u2019s easy to lose your shoes and spend a long time trying to locate them.<\/p>\n<p>Some pilgrims, like Umaima Hafez, a five-time hajjah from Egypt, pack a portable plastic stool. It fits in her bag and makes the hours-long waits more manageable.<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to toiletries, make sure you bring only those that are fragrance-free to comply with the prohibition on perfume.<\/p>\n<h2>Be prepared to camp out<\/h2><p>With holy sites spread over a distance of more than 16 kilometres, pilgrims may also need to camp out in the desert. It could mean staying somewhere likeMina - one of the world\u2019s largest tent camps.<\/p>\n<p>There are places you can purchase <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2022//06//25//france-has-the-best-wild-camping-spots-in-europe-here-are-5-more-stunning-spots-to-learn-t/">camping equipment in Mecca. Supermarkets often sell essentials like lightweight tents, sleeping mats and collapsible water pouches.<\/p>\n<p>For food, it\u2019s sensible to bring anything that can be consumed easily on the move and doesn\u2019t need refrigeration or utensils, such as dried fruit, nuts, biscuits and crisps.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1687778534,"publishedAt":1687781701,"updatedAt":1687781709,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/travel\/2023\/06\/26\/fragrance-free-toiletries-and-lots-of-snacks-the-ultimate-packing-list-for-the-hajj-pilgri","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/70\/83\/58\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_0b63bea8-c56e-548d-985f-0a1f0c3a985e-7708358.jpg","altText":"Pilgrims walk for hours and wait in huge crowds in the searing heat around holy sites and the surrounding desert. ","caption":"Pilgrims walk for hours and wait in huge crowds in the searing heat around holy sites and the surrounding desert. ","captionCredit":"ekrem osmanoglu","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":5472,"height":3648}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"hughes","title":"Rebecca Ann Hughes","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":243,"slug":"saudi-arabia","urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","titleRaw":"Saudi Arabia"},{"id":488,"slug":"mecca","urlSafeValue":"mecca","title":"Mecca","titleRaw":"Mecca"},{"id":10225,"slug":"pilgrimage","urlSafeValue":"pilgrimage","title":"Pilgrimage","titleRaw":"Pilgrimage"},{"id":21150,"slug":"backpack","urlSafeValue":"backpack","title":"Backpack","titleRaw":"Backpack"},{"id":15532,"slug":"muslim","urlSafeValue":"muslim","title":"Muslim","titleRaw":"Muslim"},{"id":12098,"slug":"hajj","urlSafeValue":"hajj","title":"Hajj","titleRaw":"Hajj"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"externalPartners":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"isLiveCoverage":0,"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"","freeField1":"","freeField2":null,"type":"","program":{"id":"experiences","urlSafeValue":"experiences","title":"Experiences","online":0,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/travel\/experiences\/experiences"},"vertical":"travel","verticals":[{"id":7,"slug":"travel","urlSafeValue":"travel","title":"Travel"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":7,"slug":"travel","urlSafeValue":"travel","title":"Travel"},"themes":[{"id":"experiences","urlSafeValue":"experiences","title":"Experiences","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/travel\/experiences"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":29,"urlSafeValue":"experiences","title":"Experiences"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":12,"urlSafeValue":"asia","title":"Asia"},"country":{"id":243,"urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","url":"\/news\/asia\/saudi-arabia"},"town":{"id":488,"urlSafeValue":"mecca","title":"Mecca"},"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_travel','gs_fashion','gs_society','gs_society_religion','gs_travel_type','neg_nespresso','gs_travel_holidays','neg_bucherer','castrol_negative_uk','neg_mobkoi_castrol','gs_fashion_beauty','neg_facebook_2021','gt_positive','gs_science_geography'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"path":"\/travel\/2023\/06\/26\/fragrance-free-toiletries-and-lots-of-snacks-the-ultimate-packing-list-for-the-hajj-pilgri","lastModified":1687781709},{"id":2289718,"cid":7654018,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230606_SPSU_51935957","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Saudi Arabia's quest to become a sport kingdom","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Saudi Arabia's quest to become a sport kingdom","titleListing2":"In a bid that experts say is to divert the world's eyes from the county's controversial treatment of minorities, Saudi Arabia is targetting football stars and high profile competitions.","leadin":"In a bid that experts say is to divert the world's eyes from the county's controversial treatment of minorities, Saudi Arabia is targetting football stars and high profile competitions.","summary":"In a bid that experts say is to divert the world's eyes from the county's controversial treatment of minorities, Saudi Arabia is targetting football stars and high profile competitions.","url":"saudi-arabias-quest-to-become-a-sport-kingdom","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"In a quest to establish itself as the leading entertainment and sporting destination in the Gulf region, Saudi Arabia has been engaging in fierce competition with its neighbouring nations. \n\nFollowing Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al Nassr, a Saudi Arabian club, six months ago, reports now suggest that the kingdom is actively attempting to entice other football heavyweights like Lionel Messi and Karim Benzema. \n\nAccording to Simon Chadwick, a renowned professor specializing in sport and geopolitical economy, this strategic move is aimed at diversifying Saudi Arabia's revenue sources. \n\nAdditionally, he highlights the political and socio-cultural motives behind this pursuit. \n\n''They want to project soft power. They want to use football as a means through which to engage in diplomacy with countries around the world. But I also think there's something sociocultural about this, too. 70% of the Saudi Arabian population is aged under the 35. They want to spend their time doing interesting, exciting things. And so this is the Saudi Arabian government attempting to meet the needs of this millennial and Generation Z community,'' said Chadwick. \n\nThis endeavour is just one among a series of high-profile sports-related developments in the region.\u00a0 \n\nSaudi Arabia hosted the world heavyweight boxing championship bout between Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua in 2019, launched the prestigious LIV Golf championship, and made headlines with the acquisition of English Premier League club Newcastle United in 2021, orchestrated by a three-party consortium. \n\nHowever, these projects have been met with criticism from human rights organizations, who draw attention to the country's harsh treatment of the LGBTQ+ community and migrant workers.\u00a0 \n\nSportswashing \n\nWhile critics have accused the kingdom of \"sportswashing,\" visiting associate professor Danyel Reiche advises caution in using this term. \n\n''Of course, Saudi invests into sports to have a better image and to distract from human rights violations. But I think we can not just explain Saudis' sports investments with this term (sportswashing). It gives the impression that for complex processes, there's a simple explanation. And I think there's more than that. And it also reflects social changes in Saudi Arabia,'' said Reiche. \n\nSaudi Arabia is reportedly considering a joint bid with Egypt and Greece to host the 2030 World Cup. \n\nThis proposal is viewed as an opportunity for Saudi Arabia to establish its supremacy in the wake of neighbouring Qatar's hosting of the tournament last year. \n\nThe decision on who hosts the 2030 tournament comes down to a public vote of the entire FIFA Congress and is set to take place in September next year. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>In a quest to establish itself as the leading entertainment and sporting destination in the Gulf region, Saudi Arabia has been engaging in fierce competition with its neighbouring nations.<\/p>\n<p>Following Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al Nassr, a Saudi Arabian club, six months ago, reports now suggest that the kingdom is actively attempting to entice other football heavyweights like Lionel Messi and Karim Benzema.<\/p>\n<p>According to Simon Chadwick, a renowned professor specializing in sport and geopolitical economy, this strategic move is aimed at diversifying Saudi Arabia's revenue sources.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7651156,7590754\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//05//09//lionel-messis-move-to-saudi-arabia-not-done-yet/">Lionel Messi's father denies Saudi Arabia move <\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//06//04//french-striker-karim-benzema-leaves-real-madrid-amid-reports-of-move-to-saudi-arabia/">French striker Karim Benzema leaves Real Madrid amid reports of move to Saudi Arabia<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Additionally, he highlights the political and socio-cultural motives behind this pursuit.<\/p>\n<p>''They want to project soft power. They want to use football as a means through which to engage in diplomacy with countries around the world. But I also think there's something sociocultural about this, too. 70% of the Saudi Arabian population is aged under the 35. They want to spend their time doing interesting, exciting things. And so this is the Saudi Arabian government attempting to meet the needs of this millennial and Generation Z community,'' said Chadwick.<\/p>\n<p>This endeavour is just one among a series of high-profile sports-related developments in the region.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Saudi Arabia hosted the world heavyweight boxing championship bout between Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua in 2019, launched the prestigious LIV Golf championship, and made headlines with the acquisition of English Premier League club Newcastle United in 2021, orchestrated by a three-party consortium.<\/p>\n<p>However, these projects have been met with criticism from human rights organizations, who draw attention to the country's harsh treatment of the LGBTQ+ community and migrant workers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Sportswashing<\/strong><\/h2><p>While critics have accused the kingdom of \"sportswashing,\" visiting associate professor Danyel Reiche advises caution in using this term.<\/p>\n<p>''Of course, Saudi invests into sports to have a better image and to distract from human rights violations. But I think we can not just explain Saudis' sports investments with this term (sportswashing). It gives the impression that for complex processes, there's a simple explanation. And I think there's more than that. And it also reflects social changes in Saudi Arabia,'' said Reiche.<\/p>\n<p>Saudi Arabia is reportedly considering a joint bid with Egypt and Greece to host the 2030 World Cup.<\/p>\n<p>This proposal is viewed as an opportunity for Saudi Arabia to establish its supremacy in the wake of neighbouring Qatar's hosting of the tournament last year.<\/p>\n<p>The decision on who hosts the 2030 tournament comes down to a public vote of the entire FIFA Congress and is set to take place in September next year.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1685977526,"publishedAt":1686058548,"updatedAt":1686503006,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/06\/06\/saudi-arabias-quest-to-become-a-sport-kingdom","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/28\/40\/84\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_79924b34-041d-57ba-a1f4-b740ff821a57-7284084.jpg","altText":"Cristiano Ronaldo smiles during a press conference for his official unveiling as a new member of Al Nassr soccer club in in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. ","caption":"Cristiano Ronaldo smiles during a press conference for his official unveiling as a new member of Al Nassr soccer club in in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. ","captionCredit":"Amr Nabil\/Copyright 2022 The AP. All rights reserved","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":713}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":27970,"slug":"al-nasr","urlSafeValue":"al-nasr","title":"Al Nasr (Footbal Team)","titleRaw":"Al Nasr (Footbal Team)"},{"id":243,"slug":"saudi-arabia","urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","titleRaw":"Saudi Arabia"},{"id":8257,"slug":"football","urlSafeValue":"football","title":"Football","titleRaw":"Football"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/SP\/SU\/23\/06\/06\/en\/230606_SPSU_51935957_51951034_125560_174701_en.mp4","editor":null,"duration":125560,"filesizeBytes":16260293,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/SP\/SU\/23\/06\/06\/en\/230606_SPSU_51935957_51951034_125560_174701_en.mp4","editor":null,"duration":125560,"filesizeBytes":24213701,"expiresAt":0}],"externalPartners":{"dailymotionId":"x8lk10n","youtubeId":"LbLRoV03c-E"},"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"isLiveCoverage":0,"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":"","freeField2":null,"type":"","program":{"id":"sport","urlSafeValue":"sport","title":"Sport","online":0,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/sport"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"sport","urlSafeValue":"sport","title":"Sport","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/sport"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":8,"urlSafeValue":"sport","title":"Sport"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":12,"urlSafeValue":"asia","title":"Asia"},"country":{"id":243,"urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","url":"\/news\/asia\/saudi-arabia"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','gs_sport','gs_sport_soccer','gs_politics','gs_society','gt_positive','neg_facebook_2021','gs_politics_misc','gs_politics_issues_policy','sm_politics','gs_society_misc','gs_genres_fantasy','gt_positive_curiosity','neg_nespresso','shadow9hu7_pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_event_copa_america','neg_facebook_neg14','custom_politics_brussels'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"path":"\/2023\/06\/06\/saudi-arabias-quest-to-become-a-sport-kingdom","lastModified":1686503006},{"id":2276750,"cid":7616104,"versionId":10,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230519_NWSU_51708427","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Zelenskyy: Some Arab countries 'turning a blind eye' to Russian invasion of Ukraine","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Zelenskyy: Some Arab countries 'turning a blind eye' to invasion ","titleListing2":"\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 Zelenskyy: Some Arab countries 'turning a blind eye' to Russian invasion of Ukraine","leadin":"The Ukrainian leader is making his first trip to Saudi Arabia, meeting leaders at the Arab League summit in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.","summary":"The Ukrainian leader is making his first trip to Saudi Arabia, meeting leaders at the Arab League summit in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.","url":"zelenskyy-joins-arab-league-summit-in-saudi-arabia","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that \"some\" Arab countries were \"turning a blind eye\" to Russia's invasion of his country. \n\nHe made the comments while attending the Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia. \n\n\"Unfortunately, some countries in the world and here among you are turning a blind eye to these illegal prisons and annexations,\" he said, calling on regional leaders to \"take an honest look\" at the war. \n\nZelenskyy thanked Saudi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for his \"support for the territorial integrity\" of Ukraine, during the first bilateral visit to the country. Zelenskyy also invited bin Salman, whose country recently coordinated its oil policy with Moscow, to pay a return visit to Kyiv.\u00a0 \n\nIn a message posted on Twitter before his arrival in Jeddah, President Zelenskyy said he would also be talking about a peace \"formula\" and energy cooperation.\u00a0 \n\nThe Ukrainian leader said he would discuss the treatment of Muslim Tatars living under Russian occupation in the Crimean Peninsula.\u00a0 \n\nCrimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dzhemilev accompanied Zelenskyy on the visit. \n\nIn recent months, Saudi Arabia has restored diplomatic ties with Iran, is ending the kingdom\u2019s yearlong war against Iran-backed rebels in Yemen and has led the push for Syria\u2019s return to the Arab League. \n\nThe Saudis have even offered to mediate between Ukraine and Russia, following a prisoner exchange deal they brokered last year. \n\nArab states have remained largely neutral over Russia's war on Ukraine, with many maintaining close ties to Moscow. \n\nSaudi Arabia pledged \u20ac370 million in aid to Ukraine earlier this year and has voted in favour of UN resolutions calling on Russia to end its invasion and refrain from annexing Ukrainian territory. \n\nArab leaders were also joined by Syrian President Bashar Assad for the first time in more than a decade \n\nFocus on Sudan \n\nAs leaders from the 22-member league meet in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, attention is expected to shift to Sudan. \n\nThe East African country's top generals - both of whom have been backed by Saudi Arabia and other Arab states - have been battling each other across the country for over a month, killing hundreds and sparking an exodus from the capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere. \n\nGenral Abdel-Fattah Burhan, leader of the armed forces, and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, agreed to a pact in Jeddah last week that promised safe passage for civilians fleeing the fighting and protection for aid groups. \n\nSaudi Arabia and the United States have meanwhile been leading international efforts to broker a lasting truce. \n\nThe fighting has killed over 600 people and caused tens of thousands to flee their homes. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that \"some\" Arab countries were \"turning a blind eye\" to Russia's invasion of his country.<\/p>\n<p>He made the comments while attending the Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n<p>\"Unfortunately, some countries in the world and here among you are turning a blind eye to these illegal prisons and annexations,\" he said, calling on regional leaders to \"take an honest look\" at the war.<\/p>\n<p>Zelenskyy thanked Saudi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for his \"support for the territorial integrity\" of Ukraine, during the first bilateral visit to the country. Zelenskyy also invited bin Salman, whose country recently coordinated its oil policy with Moscow, to pay a return visit to Kyiv.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1659498127634702338\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>In a message posted on Twitter before his arrival in Jeddah, President Zelenskyy said he would also be talking about a peace \"formula\" and energy cooperation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Ukrainian leader said he would discuss the treatment of Muslim Tatars living under Russian occupation in the Crimean Peninsula.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dzhemilev accompanied Zelenskyy on the visit.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7614508,7609060,7605570\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//05//15//watch-zelenskyy-secures-more-weapons-on-whistlestop-tour-of-europe/">WATCH: Zelenskyy secures more weapons on whistlestop tour of Europe<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//05//16//ukraine-war-african-peace-plan-russian-assets-frozen-and-zelenskyy-replenishes-weapons-and/">Ukraine war: African peace plan, Russian assets frozen, and Zelenskyy replenishes weapons and ammo<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//05//19//ukraines-president-zelenskyy-to-attend-g7-in-japan-as-hiroshima-summit-begins/">Ukraine's President Zelenskyy to attend G7 in Japan, as Hiroshima summit begins<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>In recent months, Saudi Arabia has restored diplomatic ties with Iran, is ending the kingdom\u2019s yearlong war against Iran-backed rebels in Yemen and has led the push for Syria\u2019s return to the Arab League.<\/p>\n<p>The Saudis have even offered to mediate between Ukraine and Russia, following a prisoner exchange deal they brokered last year.<\/p>\n<p>Arab states have remained largely neutral over Russia's war on Ukraine, with many maintaining close ties to Moscow.<\/p>\n<p>Saudi Arabia pledged \u20ac370 million in aid to Ukraine earlier this year and has voted in favour of UN resolutions calling on Russia to end its invasion and refrain from annexing Ukrainian territory.<\/p>\n<p>Arab leaders were also joined by Syrian President Bashar Assad for the first time in more than a decade<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Focus on Sudan<\/strong><\/h2><p>As leaders from the 22-member league meet in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, attention is expected to shift to Sudan.<\/p>\n<p>The East African country's top generals - both of whom have been backed by Saudi Arabia and other Arab states - have been battling each other across the country for over a month, killing hundreds and sparking an exodus from the capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere.<\/p>\n<p>Genral Abdel-Fattah Burhan, leader of the armed forces, and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, agreed to a pact in Jeddah last week that promised safe passage for civilians fleeing the fighting and protection for aid groups.<\/p>\n<p>Saudi Arabia and the United States have meanwhile been leading international efforts to broker a lasting truce.<\/p>\n<p>The fighting has killed over 600 people and caused tens of thousands to flee their homes.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1684491232,"publishedAt":1684515010,"updatedAt":1684520045,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/05\/19\/zelenskyy-joins-arab-league-summit-in-saudi-arabia","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/61\/04\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_3eb3806c-3d72-5061-b393-ed8b669d6693-7616104.jpg","altText":"Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives at Jeddah airport, Saudi Arabia, Friday, May 19, 2023. ","caption":"Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives at Jeddah airport, Saudi Arabia, Friday, May 19, 2023. ","captionCredit":"AP","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"height":900},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/61\/20\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_b5fd513e-5cd5-56b9-b202-24afc71120f2-7616120.jpg","altText":"Ukrainian president in Saudi Arabia to attend Arab League summit","caption":"Ukrainian president in Saudi Arabia to attend Arab League summit","captionCredit":"Carl Court\/2023 Getty Images","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":11940,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"news","titleRaw":"news"},{"id":243,"slug":"saudi-arabia","urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","titleRaw":"Saudi Arabia"},{"id":4231,"slug":"arab-league","urlSafeValue":"arab-league","title":"Arab League","titleRaw":"Arab League"},{"id":27848,"slug":"ukraine-russia-war","urlSafeValue":"ukraine-russia-war","title":"Ukraine Russia war","titleRaw":"Ukraine Russia war"},{"id":26330,"slug":"ukraine-russia-border-crisis","urlSafeValue":"ukraine-russia-border-crisis","title":"Russia's invasion of Ukraine ","titleRaw":"Russia's invasion of Ukraine "}],"widgets":[{"slug":"twitter","count":1},{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2275952},{"id":2276044},{"id":2276812}],"technicalTags":[{"path":"euronews.byenglishwebteam"},{"path":"euronews"}],"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":60000,"editor":null,"filesizeBytes":7907588,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/05\/19\/en\/230519_NWSU_51713310_51716586_98000_183818_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":60000,"editor":null,"filesizeBytes":11813124,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/05\/19\/en\/230519_NWSU_51713310_51716586_98000_183818_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"externalPartners":{"dailymotionId":"x8l2f2v","youtubeId":"VvA_2V_vdYI"},"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"isLiveCoverage":0,"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":null,"type":"","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":12,"urlSafeValue":"asia","title":"Asia"},"country":{"id":243,"urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","url":"\/news\/asia\/saudi-arabia"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gs_science','gs_news','gs_news_and_weather','gs_science_weather','gs_vidgames','gs_travel_locations'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"path":"\/2023\/05\/19\/zelenskyy-joins-arab-league-summit-in-saudi-arabia","lastModified":1684520045},{"id":2268380,"cid":7590754,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230509_SPSU_51563153","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Lionel Messi's father denies Saudi Arabia move ","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Lionel Messi's father denies Saudi Arabia move","titleListing2":"Lionel Messi's father denies Saudi Arabia move","leadin":"Lionel Messi's father, Jorge Messi denied reports of the 35-year-old agreeing to sign a lucrative contract to play in Saudi Arabia next year. ","summary":"Lionel Messi's father, Jorge Messi denied reports of the 35-year-old agreeing to sign a lucrative contract to play in Saudi Arabia next year. ","url":"lionel-messis-move-to-saudi-arabia-not-done-yet","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Reports of Paris Saint-Germain star Lionel Messi signing a deal to play in Saudi Arabia next season are false, the player's father said via statement.\u00a0 \n\n\u201cThere\u2019s absolutely nothing agreed with any club for next season,\" Jorge Messi, who also represents his son, said. \"We will decide at the end of the season. Nothing is signed, agreed or verbally agreed. Only fake news using Leo\u2019s name.\"\u00a0 \n\n\nEarlier, a Saudi source close to the negotiations told AFP that the deal was agreed on lucrative terms. \n\n\"The contract is exceptional. It is huge. We are still finalising some details,\" the source added, without revealing the name of the club concerned. \n\nMessi is already under contract with Visit Saudi and frequently promotes the Kingdom's tourist destinations. \n\nThe 35-year-old was recently suspended by his current club Paris Saint-Germain for visiting Saudi Arabia, missing the club's training.\u00a0 \n\nMessi apologised to his teammates and the club following his suspension and is now back in training for the league leaders.\u00a0 \n\nWhen contacted by journalists, PSG stated that Messi's contract runs until June 30.\u00a0 \n\nAccording to Fabrizio Romano, Messi will honour the end of his contract as planned and will only decide on his future at the end of the football season.\u00a0 \n\nRecent reports have put Saudi club Al-Hilal at the front of the race to sign the World Champion with an offer valued at \u20ac400 million per year. \n\nMessi's transfer to Saudi Arabia will pit him against Cristiano Ronaldo once again, after sharing a longstanding rivalry. The Portuguese attacker is currently with Al Nassr after arriving from Manchester United last December. \n\n\"The negotiations did not take as long as with Ronaldo,\" said the Saudi source, adding that as with the latter, the financial package came from the Saudi sovereign wealth fund (PIF). \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Reports of Paris Saint-Germain star Lionel Messi signing a deal to play in Saudi Arabia next season are false, the player's father said via statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s absolutely nothing agreed with any club for next season,\" Jorge Messi, who also represents his son, said. \"We will decide at the end of the season. Nothing is signed, agreed or verbally agreed. Only fake news using Leo\u2019s name.\"\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p>Earlier, a Saudi source close to the negotiations told AFP that the deal was agreed on lucrative terms.<\/p>\n<p>\"The contract is exceptional. It is huge. We are still finalising some details,\" the source added, without revealing the name of the club concerned.<\/p>\n<p>Messi is already under contract with <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.visitsaudi.com//en//Messi/">Visit Saudi<\/strong><\/a> and frequently promotes the Kingdom's tourist destinations.<\/p>\n<p>The 35-year-old was recently suspended by his current club Paris Saint-Germain for visiting Saudi Arabia, missing the club's training.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Messi apologised to his teammates and the club following his suspension and is now back in training for the league leaders.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When contacted by journalists, PSG stated that Messi's contract runs until June 30.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>According to Fabrizio Romano, Messi will honour the end of his contract as planned and will only decide on his future at the end of the football season.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1655886807815340032\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Recent reports have put Saudi club Al-Hilal at the front of the race to sign the World Champion with an offer valued at \u20ac400 million per year.<\/p>\n<p>Messi's transfer to Saudi Arabia will pit him against Cristiano Ronaldo once again, after sharing a longstanding rivalry. The Portuguese attacker is currently with Al Nassr after arriving from Manchester United last December.<\/p>\n<p>\"The negotiations did not take as long as with Ronaldo,\" said the Saudi source, adding that as with the latter, the financial package came from the Saudi sovereign wealth fund (PIF).<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1683627939,"publishedAt":1683632512,"updatedAt":1683642168,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/05\/09\/lionel-messis-move-to-saudi-arabia-not-done-yet","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/59\/07\/54\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_7ded1765-ba66-59cb-98e0-da507cb3cfdf-7590754.jpg","altText":"Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi poses after he was presented the award for sportsperson of the year at the Laureus Sports Awards ceremony in Paris, Monday, May 8, 2023.","caption":"Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi poses after he was presented the award for sportsperson of the year at the Laureus Sports Awards ceremony in Paris, Monday, May 8, 2023.","captionCredit":"AP","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"height":900},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/59\/07\/62\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_5d1a9d35-d1d1-59fa-9cc5-49d62df12d12-7590762.jpg","altText":null,"caption":null,"captionCredit":"Lewis Joly\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":5760,"height":8640}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":9113,"slug":"lionel-messi","urlSafeValue":"lionel-messi","title":"Lionel Messi","titleRaw":"Lionel Messi"},{"id":243,"slug":"saudi-arabia","urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","titleRaw":"Saudi Arabia"},{"id":12551,"slug":"paris-saint-germain","urlSafeValue":"paris-saint-germain","title":"Paris Saint-Germain","titleRaw":"Paris Saint-Germain"},{"id":8257,"slug":"football","urlSafeValue":"football","title":"Football","titleRaw":"Football"},{"id":16522,"slug":"football-transfers","urlSafeValue":"football-transfers","title":"Football transfers","titleRaw":"Football 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Arabia's Islamic Art Biennale: A voyage through history, heritage and religion","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Explore heritage, history and religion at the Islamic Art Biennale","titleListing2":"Catch it while you can, a unique showcase of treasures at the world's first Islamic Art Biennale","leadin":"Elise Morton recently returned from the world's first Islamic Art Biennale and discovered an exhibition divided into two experiences: Qiblah reflecting daily ritual of acts and faith, while Hijrah explores migration issues.","summary":"Elise Morton recently returned from the world's first Islamic Art Biennale and discovered an exhibition divided into two experiences: Qiblah reflecting daily ritual of acts and faith, while Hijrah explores migration issues.","keySentence":null,"url":"saudi-arabias-islamic-art-biennale-visually-ventures-where-others-fear-to-tread","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Pilgrims embarking on the Hajj \u2013 a sacred pilgrimage to Mecca, required of every Muslim at least once in their lifetime \u2013 will likely find themselves at some point at Jeddah airport\u2019s gargantuan Hajj Terminal, awaiting the next step of their journey to Islam\u2019s holiest city.\u00a0 \n\nIn 2023, the terminal has invited travellers on another journey: through the rituals that have defined Islam from its inception to the present day, and the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad, at the first ever Islamic Arts Biennale . \n\n\u201cWe were set a task to make something universal to the Muslim world but that also reflects the particularity of this place,\u201d explains curator Dr Julian Raby. Pilgrims en route to Mecca gather from across the globe with one goal, to visit the Awwal Bait (literally meaning \u201cFirst House\u201d) or House of Allah: the Ka\u2019bah in Mecca, which provides the focal point of daily rituals of worship. It is at once, says Raby, \u201cthe thing that unites all Muslims\u201d no matter their location, and a holy site of which this region of Saudi Arabia, specifically, is the custodian. \n\nIt is under the title of Awwal Bait that the Biennale traces centuries of creativity, juxtaposing historical artefacts with contemporary works to explore the artistic heritage of Islam, with the Ka\u2019bah its metaphorical guiding light. \n\nWithin this theme, the Biennale is split into two main exhibition experiences: Qiblah and Hijrah. Qiblah, meaning the direction of the Ka\u2019bah toward which every Muslim faces in their daily prayers, is a series of galleries combining contemporary artworks and historical objects reflecting on daily ritual and acts of faith.\u00a0 \n\nIn itself, Qiblah is divided into six sections, taking audiences through key elements of Islamic ritual: Adhan: The Call; Wudu\u2019: Purification; Salah: Prayer; Salat Al-Jama\u2019 ah: Congregational Prayer; Mawt: Mortality; and Bait: House of God.\u00a0Hijrah, which brings visitors out under the tent-like canopy of the Hajj Terminal, presents specially commissioned artworks that explore the theme of migration. \n\nOutside under the canopy in the Hijrah exhibit, A Series of Personal Questions Addressed to a Boat That Sailed Its Last Journey on the Red Sea by James Webb sees the South African artist ask a salvaged traditional Arabian wooden boat questions that prompt meditation on what the boat embodies: migration, trade, pilgrimage, identity. \n\nIslamic architectures and experiences \n\nArtistic trio Beya Othmani, Ziad Jamaleddine and Iheb Guermazi present in their work Jerba a perspective-shifting take on holy space, crafting a deconstructed mosque reduced to its essential elements \u2013 a mihrab (a niche in the wall that indicates the direction of Mecca), ablution bowl and stool \u2013 amidst a pile of gravel that echoes the topography of the Tunisian island of Djerba. \n\nIf these works draw specifically on sacred spaces and sound in an Islamic context, Muhannad Shono\u2019s On Softer Light provides space for a broader reflection on the spiritual realm. The two-part installation of light, shone through almost painfully fine threads, creates an ethereal realm where the lines are blurred between light and dark, the physical and the spiritual.\u00a0 \n\nTaking on broader themes of injustice, Haroon Gunn-Salie\u2019s Amongst Men reflects particularly on the role of Islam in resistance to colonialism and apartheid.\u00a0 \n\nA thousand individually cast kufi caps \u2013 traditional hats worn by Muslim men across Africa and South Asia \u2013 hang hauntingly at varied heights to recreate the funeral of South African imam and apartheid critic Abdullah Haron, which drew 40,000 mourners.\u00a0 \n\nUnknown Treasures \n\nAmidst these contemporary works \u2013 and within two special pavilions housing artefacts from the cities of Mecca and Medina \u2013 are what Raby describes as \u201cunknown treasures of the Kingdom.\u201d These historical treasures range from ornate pieces of kiswa (the intricately embroidered piece of cloth that covers the Ka\u2019bah) from the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, also known as Ithra, to pages from late-9th-century Qur'an from the Saudi National Museum and a bounty of archival photographs.\u00a0 \n\nA special showcase welcomes objects lent from the collections of museums around the world, including the Benaki Museum in Athens and the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan. \n\nIt is not only the juxtaposition of the historical and contemporary, though, that creates a dialogue between the past and present. Visitors witness the intersection of the two in history-inspired artworks such as Sarah Al Abdali\u2019s After Hijra, a sound and visual installation featuring a selection of historic tombstones from a Mecca cemetery, together with Joe Namy\u2019s immersive sound installation Cosmic Breath.\u00a0 \n\nThis work is composed of 18 loudspeakers, each sounding a different recording of the Adhan (call to prayer) from a multitude of countries and moments in history, and including what is thought to be the earliest recording, from the Haram Mosque in Mecca in the late 1800s. Works such as these create a dialogue between the past and present, with the promise of a future in which ritual and heritage live on.\u00a0 \n\nThe audience\u2019s journey in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad through the Biennale\u2019s Hijrah, under the canopy of Hajj Terminal but metaphorically tracing the route from Mecca to Medina, finds its climax in the film In the Footsteps of the Beloved, which premiered at the Biennale in March.\u00a0 \n\nThe film, directed by American filmmaker Ovidio Salazar and complementing the exhibition Hijrah: In the Footsteps of the Prophet at Ithra, sees preeminent Hijrah scholar Dr. Abdallah Alkadi guide audiences through the real landscapes travelled by the Prophet. \n\nHis focus on archaeological, historical and scientific evidence \u2013 laid bare before viewers \u2013 is a captivating, refreshing shift from the traditional telling of the story. This \u201cart house-style, meditative\u201d film, as Ithra curator Idries Trevathan describes it, is much like the Biennale as a whole in its thought-provoking nature: it is at once about a specific event in a specific location and significant for a specific religious community, while offering food for thought on some of the world\u2019s most salient issues \u2013 migration and identity, to name just two \u2013 for Muslim and non-Muslim audiences alike. \n\nThe Islamic Arts Biennale 2023 runs in Jeddah until 23 April 2023.","htmlText":"<p>Pilgrims embarking on the Hajj \u2013 a sacred pilgrimage to Mecca, required of every Muslim at least once in their lifetime \u2013 will likely find themselves at some point at Jeddah airport\u2019s gargantuan Hajj Terminal, awaiting the next step of their journey to Islam\u2019s holiest city.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In 2023, the terminal has invited travellers on another journey: through the rituals that have defined Islam from its inception to the present day, and the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad, at the first ever <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//culture//2023//04//09//meet-sumayya-vally-the-woman-behind-the-worlds-first-ever-islamic-arts-biennale/">Islamic Arts Biennale<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were set a task to make something universal to the Muslim world but that also reflects the particularity of this place,\u201d explains curator Dr Julian Raby. Pilgrims en route to Mecca gather from across the globe with one goal, to visit the Awwal Bait (literally meaning \u201cFirst House\u201d) or House of Allah: the Ka\u2019bah in Mecca, which provides the focal point of daily rituals of worship. It is at once, says Raby, \u201cthe thing that unites all Muslims\u201d no matter their location, and a holy site of which this region of Saudi Arabia, specifically, is the custodian.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"1.2249894470240608\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//52//52//68//808x985_cmsv2_d2d3bf03-3944-5ff1-859f-f975a42fcbeb-7525268.jpg/" alt=\"Diriyah Biennale Foundation\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/384x470_cmsv2_d2d3bf03-3944-5ff1-859f-f975a42fcbeb-7525268.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/640x784_cmsv2_d2d3bf03-3944-5ff1-859f-f975a42fcbeb-7525268.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/750x919_cmsv2_d2d3bf03-3944-5ff1-859f-f975a42fcbeb-7525268.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/828x1014_cmsv2_d2d3bf03-3944-5ff1-859f-f975a42fcbeb-7525268.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/1080x1323_cmsv2_d2d3bf03-3944-5ff1-859f-f975a42fcbeb-7525268.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/1200x1470_cmsv2_d2d3bf03-3944-5ff1-859f-f975a42fcbeb-7525268.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/1920x2352_cmsv2_d2d3bf03-3944-5ff1-859f-f975a42fcbeb-7525268.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">The door to Awwal Bait<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Diriyah Biennale Foundation<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>It is under the title of Awwal Bait that the Biennale traces centuries of creativity, juxtaposing historical artefacts with contemporary works to explore the artistic heritage of Islam, with the Ka\u2019bah its metaphorical guiding light.<\/p>\n<p>Within this theme, the Biennale is split into two main exhibition experiences: Qiblah and Hijrah. Qiblah, meaning the direction of the Ka\u2019bah toward which every Muslim faces in their daily prayers, is a series of galleries combining contemporary artworks and historical objects reflecting on daily ritual and acts of faith.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In itself, Qiblah is divided into six sections, taking audiences through key elements of Islamic ritual: Adhan: The Call; Wudu\u2019: Purification; Salah: Prayer; Salat Al-Jama\u2019 ah: Congregational Prayer; Mawt: Mortality; and Bait: House of God.\u00a0Hijrah, which brings visitors out under the tent-like canopy of the Hajj Terminal, presents specially commissioned artworks that explore the theme of migration.<\/p>\n<p>Outside under the canopy in the Hijrah exhibit, A Series of Personal Questions Addressed to a Boat That Sailed Its Last Journey on the Red Sea by James Webb sees the South African artist ask a salvaged traditional Arabian wooden boat questions that prompt meditation on what the boat embodies: migration, trade, pilgrimage, identity.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-extended widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6668571428571428\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//52//52//68//1280x853_cmsv2_9e064fbe-3db1-56f2-91a7-902a0abac27c-7525268.jpg/" alt=\"Diriyah Biennale Foundation\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/384x256_cmsv2_9e064fbe-3db1-56f2-91a7-902a0abac27c-7525268.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/640x427_cmsv2_9e064fbe-3db1-56f2-91a7-902a0abac27c-7525268.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/750x500_cmsv2_9e064fbe-3db1-56f2-91a7-902a0abac27c-7525268.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/828x552_cmsv2_9e064fbe-3db1-56f2-91a7-902a0abac27c-7525268.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/1080x720_cmsv2_9e064fbe-3db1-56f2-91a7-902a0abac27c-7525268.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/1200x800_cmsv2_9e064fbe-3db1-56f2-91a7-902a0abac27c-7525268.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/1920x1280_cmsv2_9e064fbe-3db1-56f2-91a7-902a0abac27c-7525268.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">A Series of Personal Questions Addressed to a Boat\u2026iled Its Last Journey on the Red Sea by James Webb<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Diriyah Biennale Foundation<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7499684\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//culture//2023//04//09//meet-sumayya-vally-the-woman-behind-the-worlds-first-ever-islamic-arts-biennale/">Meet Sumayya Vally, the artistic director of the world's first ever Islamic Arts Biennale<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Islamic architectures and experiences<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-extended widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665307786384019\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//52//52//68//1280x853_cmsv2_770458ef-68d0-5cc9-8a9a-65bfde6de83c-7525268.jpg/" alt=\"Diriyah Biennale Foundation\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/384x256_cmsv2_770458ef-68d0-5cc9-8a9a-65bfde6de83c-7525268.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/640x427_cmsv2_770458ef-68d0-5cc9-8a9a-65bfde6de83c-7525268.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/750x500_cmsv2_770458ef-68d0-5cc9-8a9a-65bfde6de83c-7525268.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/828x552_cmsv2_770458ef-68d0-5cc9-8a9a-65bfde6de83c-7525268.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/1080x720_cmsv2_770458ef-68d0-5cc9-8a9a-65bfde6de83c-7525268.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/1200x800_cmsv2_770458ef-68d0-5cc9-8a9a-65bfde6de83c-7525268.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/1920x1280_cmsv2_770458ef-68d0-5cc9-8a9a-65bfde6de83c-7525268.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">The Gravel Mosque by Beya Othmani, Ziad Jamaleddine and Iheb Guermazi<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Diriyah Biennale Foundation<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Artistic trio Beya Othmani, Ziad Jamaleddine and Iheb Guermazi present in their work Jerba a perspective-shifting take on holy space, crafting a deconstructed mosque reduced to its essential elements \u2013 a mihrab (a niche in the wall that indicates the direction of Mecca), ablution bowl and stool \u2013 amidst a pile of gravel that echoes the topography of the Tunisian island of Djerba.<\/p>\n<p>If these works draw specifically on sacred spaces and sound in an Islamic context, Muhannad Shono\u2019s On Softer Light provides space for a broader reflection on the spiritual realm. The two-part installation of light, shone through almost painfully fine threads, creates an ethereal realm where the lines are blurred between light and dark, the physical and the spiritual.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Taking on broader themes of injustice, Haroon Gunn-Salie\u2019s Amongst Men reflects particularly on the role of Islam in resistance to colonialism and apartheid.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-extended widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6666666666666666\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//52//52//68//1280x853_cmsv2_088cbaa7-0390-502a-93fb-b82355a5df49-7525268.jpg/" alt=\"Diriyah Biennale Foundation\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/384x256_cmsv2_088cbaa7-0390-502a-93fb-b82355a5df49-7525268.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/640x427_cmsv2_088cbaa7-0390-502a-93fb-b82355a5df49-7525268.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/750x500_cmsv2_088cbaa7-0390-502a-93fb-b82355a5df49-7525268.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/828x552_cmsv2_088cbaa7-0390-502a-93fb-b82355a5df49-7525268.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/1080x720_cmsv2_088cbaa7-0390-502a-93fb-b82355a5df49-7525268.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/1200x800_cmsv2_088cbaa7-0390-502a-93fb-b82355a5df49-7525268.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/52\/68\/1920x1280_cmsv2_088cbaa7-0390-502a-93fb-b82355a5df49-7525268.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Amongst Men by Haroon Gunn-Salie<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Diriyah Biennale Foundation<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>A thousand individually cast kufi caps \u2013 traditional hats worn by Muslim men across Africa and South Asia \u2013 hang hauntingly at varied heights to recreate the funeral of South African imam and apartheid critic Abdullah Haron, which drew 40,000 mourners.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Unknown Treasures<\/h2><p>Amidst these contemporary works \u2013 and within two special pavilions housing artefacts from the cities of Mecca and Medina \u2013 are what Raby describes as \u201cunknown treasures of the Kingdom.\u201d These historical treasures range from ornate pieces of kiswa (the intricately embroidered piece of cloth that covers the Ka\u2019bah) from the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, also known as Ithra, to pages from late-9th-century Qur'an from the Saudi National Museum and a bounty of archival photographs.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A special showcase welcomes objects lent from the collections of museums around the world, including the Benaki Museum in Athens and the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan.<\/p>\n<p>It is not only the juxtaposition of the historical and contemporary, though, that creates a dialogue between the past and present. Visitors witness the intersection of the two in history-inspired artworks such as Sarah Al Abdali\u2019s After Hijra, a sound and visual installation featuring a selection of historic tombstones from a Mecca cemetery, together with Joe Namy\u2019s immersive sound installation Cosmic Breath.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-extended widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6668\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//49//96//84//1280x853_cmsv2_e2538a56-4c48-5163-b0bb-d43f2615fd9b-7499684.jpg/" alt=\"Diriyah Biennale Foundation\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/384x256_cmsv2_e2538a56-4c48-5163-b0bb-d43f2615fd9b-7499684.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/640x427_cmsv2_e2538a56-4c48-5163-b0bb-d43f2615fd9b-7499684.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/750x500_cmsv2_e2538a56-4c48-5163-b0bb-d43f2615fd9b-7499684.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/828x552_cmsv2_e2538a56-4c48-5163-b0bb-d43f2615fd9b-7499684.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/1080x720_cmsv2_e2538a56-4c48-5163-b0bb-d43f2615fd9b-7499684.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/1200x800_cmsv2_e2538a56-4c48-5163-b0bb-d43f2615fd9b-7499684.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/1920x1280_cmsv2_e2538a56-4c48-5163-b0bb-d43f2615fd9b-7499684.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Cosmic Breath by Joe Namy<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Diriyah Biennale Foundation<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>This work is composed of 18 loudspeakers, each sounding a different recording of the Adhan (call to prayer) from a multitude of countries and moments in history, and including what is thought to be the earliest recording, from the Haram Mosque in Mecca in the late 1800s. Works such as these create a dialogue between the past and present, with the promise of a future in which ritual and heritage live on.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The audience\u2019s journey in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad through the Biennale\u2019s Hijrah, under the canopy of Hajj Terminal but metaphorically tracing the route from Mecca to Medina, finds its climax in the film In the Footsteps of the Beloved, which premiered at the Biennale in March.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The film, directed by American filmmaker Ovidio Salazar and complementing the exhibition Hijrah: In the Footsteps of the Prophet at Ithra, sees preeminent Hijrah scholar Dr. Abdallah Alkadi guide audiences through the real landscapes travelled by the Prophet.<\/p>\n<p>His focus on archaeological, historical and scientific evidence \u2013 laid bare before viewers \u2013 is a captivating, refreshing shift from the traditional telling of the story. This \u201cart house-style, meditative\u201d film, as Ithra curator Idries Trevathan describes it, is much like the Biennale as a whole in its thought-provoking nature: it is at once about a specific event in a specific location and significant for a specific religious community, while offering food for thought on some of the world\u2019s most salient issues \u2013 migration and identity, to name just two \u2013 for Muslim and non-Muslim audiences alike.<\/p>\n<p>The Islamic Arts Biennale 2023 runs in Jeddah until 23 April 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Al-Baha in Saudi Arabia has been transformed after a heavy hailstorm hit the region on Monday.","keySentence":null,"url":"saudi-arabia-unprecedented-hailstorm-blocks-roads-in-al-baha","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"The city of Al-Baha in western Saudi Arabia has been transformed after a heavy hailstorm hit the region on Monday, dropping as much as one metre of hailstones in some areas. \n\nVideos show snowplows hard at work as the local authorities tried to free blocked vehicles and clear the roads so that people could go about their daily business. \n\nThe severe weather in the region also included heavy rain and flooding which resulted in road closures. \n\nAuthorities have urged residents and motorists to exercise caution given the intensity of the weather and cold in the region.","htmlText":"<p><strong>The city of Al-Baha in western Saudi Arabia has been transformed after a heavy hailstorm hit the region on Monday, dropping as much as one metre of hailstones in some areas.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Videos show snowplows hard at work as the local authorities tried to free blocked vehicles and clear the roads so that people could go about their daily business.<\/p>\n<p>The severe weather in the region also included heavy rain and flooding which resulted in road closures.<\/p>\n<p>Authorities have urged residents and motorists to exercise caution given the intensity of the weather and cold in the region.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1681201844,"publishedAt":1681213454,"updatedAt":1681213458,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/04\/11\/saudi-arabia-unprecedented-hailstorm-blocks-roads-in-al-baha","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/52\/48\/44\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_424600cb-ce29-5fbf-afef-54df9ffb84ba-7524844.jpg","altText":"Snowplow clearing road in Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia","caption":"Snowplow clearing road in Al-Baha, Saudi 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director of the world's first ever Islamic Arts Biennale","leadin":"The world's first Islamic Arts Biennale is running in Saudi Arabia as the country continues to diversify its interests and increase efforts, some say, to change perceptions. Discover more about Sumayya Vally, the exhibition and the South African woman artistically directing the show.","summary":"The world's first Islamic Arts Biennale is running in Saudi Arabia as the country continues to diversify its interests and increase efforts, some say, to change perceptions. Discover more about Sumayya Vally, the exhibition and the South African woman artistically directing the show.","keySentence":null,"url":"meet-sumayya-vally-the-woman-behind-the-worlds-first-ever-islamic-arts-biennale","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Changemaker, Pioneer, and One to watch. \n\nThese would all be fair descriptions of South African architect Sumayya Vally who can now add artistic director to her growing list of accolades having helped establish the world\u2019s first Islamic Arts Biennale,\u00a0organised by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation. \n\nBorn in Pretoria (1990), Vally co-founded the experimental architecture and research firm, Counterspace, in 2015 and went on to become the youngest ever architect commissioned to design London\u2019s famed Serpentine Pavilion in 2020. \n\nThe following year, Vally was recognized in the Time 100 Next list as an emerging leader shaping the future. \n\nThis year, Vally has undertaken a new challenge: designing the first ever Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Taking on this role saw her reimagine Jeddah Airport\u2019s mammoth Hajj Terminal \u2013 ordinarily known for hosting hundreds of thousands of Muslims making their sacred pilgrimage to Mecca \u2013 as a journey through centuries of Islamic creativity.\u00a0 \n\nEuronews Culture spoke to Vally about the Biennale and its mission, the oft-contested definition of \u201cIslamic art\u201d, and the perspective she brings as a young, South African, Muslim woman spearheading such a seminal art event. \n\nWhy the need for an Islamic Arts Biennale? \n\nI strongly feel that there is a need to acknowledge that Islamic faith, Islamic practice and Islamic tradition can and should be making a creative contribution to the world. \n\nI have been thinking deeply about this opportunity to create a temporary home, an entirely new physical setting, one which has such a profound significance in the context of the Muslim pilgrim\u2019s journey, in which to invite artists and audiences to reflect on ritual \u2013 the sacred, the personal, and the communal. \n\nI think platforms for sharing ideas, pavilions, and biennales, for example, are incredibly important in how they set the tone for the future and how they allow us to project our imaginations into those spaces. To understand that we have the opportunity to make the future of culture and cultural typologies through these voices and perspectives, which reference and resonate with such diverse geographies, is profound. \n\nHow do you see the significance of a woman, and particularly a young Muslim woman, being the artistic director for this event, both within the context of contemporary Saudi Arabia and contemporary Islam? What does it mean to you? \n\nMy deepest strength is the confluence of lenses through which I see the world - the woman in me, the African in me, the Muslim in me and - these can be seen as limitations (and of course professionally they are), but they are absolutely the reason I see the future of the world and the visions I have for it in the ways I do. \n\nI believe that hybridity is an incredible strength. The biennale foundation team is made up of a cohort of (mostly) strong women, all of whom are around my age and have cultural overlap with my background and upbringing. \n\nIt has been incredibly special to see and truly witness the value of our perspectives in putting forth a project that is entirely different \u2013 shaped entirely from these authentic perspectives. I think from the experience I\u2019ve had with our team, if the future of culture is indeed in these hands, we are going to see remarkable things happening from here. \n\nHow do you understand the term \"Islamic art\"? \n\nExisting definitions of \u201cIslamic art\u201d often focus on style, tradition, geography, pattern, and geometry. The ambition of this biennale is to build on and challenge these criteria, expanding on the existing canon of Islamic art, and to question the narrative, museological, and artistic practices of this time. Islamic artworks may have surface similarities, but what really unites them is inherent in how they are made, used, and understood. \n\nWhen we identify great artworks as \u201cIslamic\u201d, we are simultaneously honouring historical traditions by keeping them alive, and contemporary practices by giving them a history. It is important to situate contemporary work in the historical narrative because it is only in context that things can belong. \n\nThe works in the biennale are experiential \u2013 they put forth an entirely different definition for Islamic Art \u2013 rooted in the experiential, the oral, the aural, our ritual practices and the ingredients and infrastructures of gathering and community. \n\nFor example, Cosmic Breath by Joe Namy choreographs the adhan, or call to prayer, from 18 different locations, where one wouldn't necessarily expect the call to prayer to be called \u2013 a parking lot, a gas station, the side of the road somewhere, from across the world, Japan, Durban in South Africa, Detroit. And he's recorded these and choreographed them so that the call starts at the same time. And this is really reflecting on the idea of cosmic breath, that every second of the day the call to prayer is being called somewhere on Earth. And there are five a day, so when we stand up in prayer, we're joining this undulating rhythm and this undulating call. \n\nSo many of our practices are not able to be held in traditional archives because they're not written forms. They're spoken, they're oral, they're passed down from generation to generation, from body to body. Many of our artists are not only taking on these practices and interpreting them in contemporary artworks, but are really deeply inspired by historic objects and historic practices. \n\nIn the works curated for this biennale, faith is resonant in the artists\u2019 method of practice, regardless of their own faith or background. For example, the work of South African artist Igshaan Adams, who works collectively, weaving his tapestries together with a group of women from his home community. \n\nThe subject matter of his work is Islamic, but there's also something of a meditative nature in the way that he practises, and this repetitive action of weaving is also a kind of spiritual practice. So, we chose artists who have something of a spiritual nature that comes from the faith in their practice. \n\nWho do you see as the main audience(s) for the Biennale? \n\nMy hope is that this biennale is an opportunity to invite audiences to reflect on ritual, the sacred, the personal and the communal - to build on that definition and to think through what Islamic Arts means and can mean, for now and for the future. We have seen a true cross-section of Jeddah come to experience the biennale \u2013 for many, this is their first experience of art in a setting like this in their own context \u2013 we have seen young and old people alike return to the biennale with their families. It has also been very special to witness pilgrims come over from the functioning airport across the road. \n\nI have been avalanched with generous messages from people who came to the opening of the biennale. Many of these messages expressed a wish for the biennale to be in the West so that non-Muslims can access it and learn more about Islam, and see it presented in this way: deeply personal expressions from our artists about our ways of being. \n\nAs much as this biennale is an open hand and an invitation for all \u2013 east, west, north, south \u2013 the power of seeing ourselves represented in this way is also at the heart of the project. \n\nI hope to convey the generativity of Islamic thinking and practice and the diversity and breadth of the Muslim world through the biennale. The philosophies of the Islamic faith offer the potential to think about the future differently. I am thinking beyond the stylistic traditions that have been called Islamic arts, and I have a deep interest in making a contribution to the canon here, to learn from how the philosophies of Islam and how the life of being a Muslim can inspire creativity and creative thinking. \n\nThere are an infinity of untold stories, unheard voices to be told, retold, made and remade.","htmlText":"<p>Changemaker, Pioneer, and One to watch.<\/p>\n<p>These would all be fair descriptions of South African architect Sumayya Vally who can now add artistic director to her growing list of accolades having helped establish the world\u2019s first Islamic Arts Biennale,\u00a0organised by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.<\/p>\n<p>Born in Pretoria (1990), Vally co-founded the experimental architecture and research firm, Counterspace, in 2015 and went on to become the youngest ever architect commissioned to design London\u2019s famed Serpentine Pavilion in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>The following year, Vally was recognized in the Time 100 Next list as an emerging leader shaping the future.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"1.5\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//49//96//84//808x1206_cmsv2_df54423c-1a23-5371-9f50-babaa30d28be-7499684.jpg/" alt=\"Marilyn Clark\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/384x576_cmsv2_df54423c-1a23-5371-9f50-babaa30d28be-7499684.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/640x960_cmsv2_df54423c-1a23-5371-9f50-babaa30d28be-7499684.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/750x1125_cmsv2_df54423c-1a23-5371-9f50-babaa30d28be-7499684.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/828x1242_cmsv2_df54423c-1a23-5371-9f50-babaa30d28be-7499684.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/1080x1620_cmsv2_df54423c-1a23-5371-9f50-babaa30d28be-7499684.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/1200x1800_cmsv2_df54423c-1a23-5371-9f50-babaa30d28be-7499684.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/1920x2880_cmsv2_df54423c-1a23-5371-9f50-babaa30d28be-7499684.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">South African architect, Sumayya Vally<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Marilyn Clark<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>This year, Vally has undertaken a new challenge: designing the first ever Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Taking on this role saw her reimagine Jeddah Airport\u2019s mammoth Hajj Terminal \u2013 ordinarily known for hosting hundreds of thousands of Muslims making their sacred pilgrimage to Mecca \u2013 as a journey through centuries of Islamic creativity.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Euronews Culture spoke to Vally about the Biennale and its mission, the oft-contested definition of \u201cIslamic art\u201d, and the perspective she brings as a young, South African, Muslim woman spearheading such a seminal art event.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why the need for an Islamic Arts Biennale?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I strongly feel that there is a need to acknowledge that Islamic faith, Islamic practice and Islamic tradition can and should be making a creative contribution to the world.<\/p>\n<p>I have been thinking deeply about this opportunity to create a temporary home, an entirely new physical setting, one which has such a profound significance in the context of the Muslim pilgrim\u2019s journey, in which to invite artists and audiences to reflect on ritual \u2013 the sacred, the personal, and the communal.<\/p>\n<p>I think platforms for sharing ideas, pavilions, and biennales, for example, are incredibly important in how they set the tone for the future and how they allow us to project our imaginations into those spaces. To understand that we have the opportunity to make the future of culture and cultural typologies through these voices and perspectives, which reference and resonate with such diverse geographies, is profound.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How do you see the significance of a woman, and particularly a young Muslim woman, being the artistic director for this event, both within the context of contemporary Saudi Arabia and contemporary Islam? What does it mean to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>My deepest strength is the confluence of lenses through which I see the world - the woman in me, the African in me, the Muslim in me and - these can be seen as limitations (and of course professionally they are), but they are absolutely the reason I see the future of the world and the visions I have for it in the ways I do.<\/p>\n<p>I believe that hybridity is an incredible strength. The biennale foundation team is made up of a cohort of (mostly) strong women, all of whom are around my age and have cultural overlap with my background and upbringing.<\/p>\n<p>It has been incredibly special to see and truly witness the value of our perspectives in putting forth a project that is entirely different \u2013 shaped entirely from these authentic perspectives. I think from the experience I\u2019ve had with our team, if the future of culture is indeed in these hands, we are going to see remarkable things happening from here.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How do you understand the term \"Islamic art\"?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Existing definitions of \u201cIslamic art\u201d often focus on style, tradition, geography, pattern, and geometry. The ambition of this biennale is to build on and challenge these criteria, expanding on the existing canon of Islamic art, and to question the narrative, museological, and artistic practices of this time. Islamic artworks may have surface similarities, but what really unites them is inherent in how they are made, used, and understood.<\/p>\n<p>When we identify great artworks as \u201cIslamic\u201d, we are simultaneously honouring historical traditions by keeping them alive, and contemporary practices by giving them a history. It is important to situate contemporary work in the historical narrative because it is only in context that things can belong.<\/p>\n<p>The works in the biennale are experiential \u2013 they put forth an entirely different definition for Islamic Art \u2013 rooted in the experiential, the oral, the aural, our ritual practices and the ingredients and infrastructures of gathering and community.<\/p>\n<p>For example, Cosmic Breath by Joe Namy choreographs the adhan, or call to prayer, from 18 different locations, where one wouldn't necessarily expect the call to prayer to be called \u2013 a parking lot, a gas station, the side of the road somewhere, from across the world, Japan, Durban in South Africa, Detroit. And he's recorded these and choreographed them so that the call starts at the same time. And this is really reflecting on the idea of cosmic breath, that every second of the day the call to prayer is being called somewhere on Earth. And there are five a day, so when we stand up in prayer, we're joining this undulating rhythm and this undulating call.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6668\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//49//96//84//808x539_cmsv2_e2538a56-4c48-5163-b0bb-d43f2615fd9b-7499684.jpg/" alt=\"Diriyah Biennale Foundation\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/384x256_cmsv2_e2538a56-4c48-5163-b0bb-d43f2615fd9b-7499684.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/640x427_cmsv2_e2538a56-4c48-5163-b0bb-d43f2615fd9b-7499684.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/750x500_cmsv2_e2538a56-4c48-5163-b0bb-d43f2615fd9b-7499684.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/828x552_cmsv2_e2538a56-4c48-5163-b0bb-d43f2615fd9b-7499684.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/1080x720_cmsv2_e2538a56-4c48-5163-b0bb-d43f2615fd9b-7499684.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/1200x800_cmsv2_e2538a56-4c48-5163-b0bb-d43f2615fd9b-7499684.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/1920x1280_cmsv2_e2538a56-4c48-5163-b0bb-d43f2615fd9b-7499684.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Cosmic Breath by Joe Namy displaying the Adhaan (Muslim call to prayer) from 18 different locations.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Diriyah Biennale Foundation<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>So many of our practices are not able to be held in traditional archives because they're not written forms. They're spoken, they're oral, they're passed down from generation to generation, from body to body. Many of our artists are not only taking on these practices and interpreting them in contemporary artworks, but are really deeply inspired by historic objects and historic practices.<\/p>\n<p>In the works curated for this biennale, faith is resonant in the artists\u2019 method of practice, regardless of their own faith or background. For example, the work of South African artist Igshaan Adams, who works collectively, weaving his tapestries together with a group of women from his home community.<\/p>\n<p>The subject matter of his work is Islamic, but there's also something of a meditative nature in the way that he practises, and this repetitive action of weaving is also a kind of spiritual practice. So, we chose artists who have something of a spiritual nature that comes from the faith in their practice.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6668\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//49//96//84//808x539_cmsv2_ff044cef-bc26-5957-92e9-ebb780f47cf1-7499684.jpg/" alt=\"Diriyah Biennale Foundation\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/384x256_cmsv2_ff044cef-bc26-5957-92e9-ebb780f47cf1-7499684.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/640x427_cmsv2_ff044cef-bc26-5957-92e9-ebb780f47cf1-7499684.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/750x500_cmsv2_ff044cef-bc26-5957-92e9-ebb780f47cf1-7499684.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/828x552_cmsv2_ff044cef-bc26-5957-92e9-ebb780f47cf1-7499684.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/1080x720_cmsv2_ff044cef-bc26-5957-92e9-ebb780f47cf1-7499684.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/1200x800_cmsv2_ff044cef-bc26-5957-92e9-ebb780f47cf1-7499684.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/1920x1280_cmsv2_ff044cef-bc26-5957-92e9-ebb780f47cf1-7499684.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">A young girl looking at South African artist Igshaan Adams's tapestry art.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Diriyah Biennale Foundation<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Who do you see as the main audience(s) for the Biennale?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>My hope is that this biennale is an opportunity to invite audiences to reflect on ritual, the sacred, the personal and the communal - to build on that definition and to think through what Islamic Arts means and can mean, for now and for the future. We have seen a true cross-section of Jeddah come to experience the biennale \u2013 for many, this is their first experience of art in a setting like this in their own context \u2013 we have seen young and old people alike return to the biennale with their families. It has also been very special to witness pilgrims come over from the functioning airport across the road.<\/p>\n<p>I have been avalanched with generous messages from people who came to the opening of the biennale. Many of these messages expressed a wish for the biennale to be in the West so that non-Muslims can access it and learn more about Islam, and see it presented in this way: deeply personal expressions from our artists about our ways of being.<\/p>\n<p>As much as this biennale is an open hand and an invitation for all \u2013 east, west, north, south \u2013 the power of seeing ourselves represented in this way is also at the heart of the project.<\/p>\n<p>I hope to convey the generativity of Islamic thinking and practice and the diversity and breadth of the Muslim world through the biennale. The philosophies of the Islamic faith offer the potential to think about the future differently. I am thinking beyond the stylistic traditions that have been called Islamic arts, and I have a deep interest in making a contribution to the canon here, to learn from how the philosophies of Islam and how the life of being a Muslim can inspire creativity and creative thinking.<\/p>\n<p>There are an infinity of untold stories, unheard voices to be told, retold, made and remade.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1680189126,"publishedAt":1681023637,"updatedAt":1681830670,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/2023\/04\/09\/meet-sumayya-vally-the-woman-behind-the-worlds-first-ever-islamic-arts-biennale","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_960544fc-0e7f-55be-a6fd-d24cf45500df-7499684.jpg","altText":"Sumayya Vally","caption":"Sumayya Vally","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Lou 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know.","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1200,"height":1800},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_ff044cef-bc26-5957-92e9-ebb780f47cf1-7499684.jpg","altText":"A young girl looking at South African artist Igshaan Adams's tapestry art.","caption":"A young girl looking at South African artist Igshaan Adams's tapestry art.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Diriyah Biennale Foundation","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2500,"height":1667},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/96\/84\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_e2538a56-4c48-5163-b0bb-d43f2615fd9b-7499684.jpg","altText":"Cosmic Breath by Joe Namy displaying the Adhaan (Muslim call to prayer) from 18 different locations.","caption":"Cosmic Breath by Joe Namy displaying the Adhaan (Muslim call to prayer) from 18 different locations.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Diriyah Biennale Foundation","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2500,"height":1667}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":15532,"slug":"muslim","urlSafeValue":"muslim","title":"Muslim","titleRaw":"Muslim"},{"id":11950,"slug":"middle-east","urlSafeValue":"middle-east","title":"Middle East","titleRaw":"Middle East"},{"id":243,"slug":"saudi-arabia","urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","titleRaw":"Saudi 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Arabia","url":"\/news\/asia\/saudi-arabia"},"town":{"id":4030,"urlSafeValue":"riyadh","title":"Riyadh"},"versions":[],"path":"\/culture\/2023\/04\/09\/meet-sumayya-vally-the-woman-behind-the-worlds-first-ever-islamic-arts-biennale","lastModified":1681830670},{"id":2223462,"cid":7459434,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230312_NWSU_50782869","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"grapeshot":"'gs_economy','gs_economy_misc','gv_military','gb_death_injury_news-ent'","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Saudi oil giant Aramco reports record profit of \u20ac151 billion for 2022","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Saudi oil giant Aramco reports record profit of \u20ac151 billion for 2022","titleListing2":"Aramco is the latest energy company to announce record earnings in 2022, helped by soaring energy prices following Russia's war in Ukraine.","leadin":"Aramco is the latest energy company to announce record earnings in 2022, helped by soaring energy prices following Russia's war in Ukraine.","summary":"Aramco is the latest energy company to announce record earnings in 2022, helped by soaring energy prices following Russia's war in Ukraine.","keySentence":null,"url":"saudi-oil-giant-aramco-reports-record-profit-of-151-billion-for-2022","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Saudi oil giant Aramco has announced a record profit of \u20ac151 billion for 2022, marking a 46.5% rise for the state-owned company compared with last year. \n\nAramco is the latest energy firm to report record profits, after energy prices spiked following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. \n\nMost of that dividend amount will go to the Saudi Arabian government, which owns nearly 95% of the shares in the company. \n\nAramco also hopes to increase its production to take advantage of market demand as China reenters the global market after lifting its coronavirus restrictions. That could raise the billions needed to pay for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman\u2019s plans to develop futuristic cityscapes to pivot Saudi Arabia away from oil. \n\n\u201cGiven that we anticipate oil and gas will remain essential for the foreseeable future, the risks of underinvestment in our industry are real \u2014 including contributing to higher energy prices,\u201d Saudi Aramco CEO and President Amin H. Nasser said in a statement. \n\nIn a tweet, Amnesty International's Secretary General Agn\u00e8s Callamard hit out at the exorbitant profits - pointing out the effects of fossil fuels on climate change and adding that the wealth was amassed during a global cost-of-living crisis. \n\nSaudi Arabia has pledged to have net-zero carbon emissions by 2060, like China and Russia, though its plans to reach that goal remain unclear.\u00a0 \n\nAramco\u2019s earnings report noted it started a \u20ac1.4 billion Sustainability Fund in October and plans a carbon-capture-and-storage facility as well","htmlText":"<p>Saudi oil giant Aramco has announced a record profit of \u20ac151 billion for 2022, marking a 46.5% rise for the state-owned company compared with last year.<\/p>\n<p>Aramco is the latest energy firm to report record profits, after energy prices spiked following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.<\/p>\n<p>Most of that dividend amount will go to the Saudi Arabian government, which owns nearly 95% of the shares in the company.<\/p>\n<p>Aramco also hopes to increase its production to take advantage of market demand as China reenters the global market after lifting its coronavirus restrictions. That could raise the billions needed to pay for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman\u2019s plans to develop futuristic cityscapes to pivot Saudi Arabia away from oil.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGiven that we anticipate oil and gas will remain essential for the foreseeable future, the risks of underinvestment in our industry are real \u2014 including contributing to higher energy prices,\u201d Saudi Aramco CEO and President Amin H. Nasser said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>In a tweet, Amnesty International's Secretary General Agn\u00e8s Callamard hit out at the exorbitant profits - pointing out the effects of fossil fuels on climate change and adding that the wealth was amassed during a global cost-of-living crisis.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1634872347265048583\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Saudi Arabia has pledged to have net-zero carbon emissions by 2060, like China and Russia, though its plans to reach that goal remain unclear.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7378162,7380438\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//02//07//uk-energy-company-bps-profits-double-to-26-billion-in-2022/">UK energy company BP's profits double to \u20ac26 billion in 2022<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//02//06//vampiric-overconsumption-and-monster-profits-un-chief-on-the-top-climate-concerns-of-2023/">/u2018Vampiric overconsumption\u2019 and \u2018monster profits\u2019: UN chief on the top climate concerns of 2023<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Aramco\u2019s earnings report noted it started a \u20ac1.4 billion Sustainability Fund in October and plans a carbon-capture-and-storage facility as well<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1678622828,"publishedAt":1678633318,"updatedAt":1678633938,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/03\/12\/saudi-oil-giant-aramco-reports-record-profit-of-151-billion-for-2022","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/45\/94\/34\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_15b05bc3-0d2d-59f0-9985-251e0ad7ba11-7459434.jpg","altText":"Storage tanks are seen at the North Jiddah bulk plant, an Aramco oil facility, in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, on March 21, 2021","caption":"Storage tanks are seen at the North Jiddah bulk plant, an Aramco oil facility, in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, on March 21, 2021","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Amr Nabil\/Copyright 2021 The AP. All rights reserved","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":4043,"height":2695},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/45\/94\/32\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_f8d4f5ce-9a1e-52a5-9733-3ddb1d73acd1-7459432.jpg","altText":null,"caption":null,"captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AFP-ARAMCO","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":243,"slug":"saudi-arabia","urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","titleRaw":"Saudi Arabia"},{"id":13222,"slug":"oil","urlSafeValue":"oil","title":"Oil","titleRaw":"Oil"},{"id":14574,"slug":"oil-prices","urlSafeValue":"oil-prices","title":"Oil prices","titleRaw":"Oil prices"},{"id":7334,"slug":"profits","urlSafeValue":"profits","title":"Profits","titleRaw":"Profits"},{"id":10703,"slug":"world-economy","urlSafeValue":"world-economy","title":"World economy","titleRaw":"World economy"},{"id":26330,"slug":"ukraine-russia-border-crisis","urlSafeValue":"ukraine-russia-border-crisis","title":"Russia's invasion of Ukraine","titleRaw":"Russia's invasion of Ukraine"}],"related":[{"id":2195954},{"id":2192570},{"id":2224504}],"technicalTags":[],"widgets":[{"slug":"twitter","count":1},{"slug":"related","count":1}],"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":{"quotation":null,"description":null,"author":null},"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":null,"contentType":null,"displayOverlay":0},"displayType":"default","video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/03\/12\/en\/230312_NWSU_50782869_50784393_60000_163114_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":"60000","filesizeBytes":7694614,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/03\/12\/en\/230312_NWSU_50782869_50784393_60000_163114_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":"60000","filesizeBytes":11496726,"expiresAt":0}],"externalPartners":{"dailymotionId":"x8j1a0s","youtubeId":"bLvq_y_omjE"},"liveStream":[],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":0,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":12,"urlSafeValue":"asia","title":"Asia"},"country":{"id":243,"urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","url":"\/news\/asia\/saudi-arabia"},"town":[],"versions":[],"path":"\/2023\/03\/12\/saudi-oil-giant-aramco-reports-record-profit-of-151-billion-for-2022","lastModified":1678633938},{"id":2209352,"cid":7417770,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230221_S5SU_50519980","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gt_positive','gb_safe','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','eap-gs-homerfaber-fs-30july19','neg_facebook_2021','gs_science','gs_genres','mobkoi_sophie_campaign_en','progressivemedia','castrol_negative_uk','gt_positive_curiosity','gs_science_misc'","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Fancy a virtual hot air balloon trip over Saudi Arabia's ancient tombs? Now, you can","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Take a virtual hot air balloon trip over Saudi Arabia's ancient tombs","titleListing2":"Fancy taking a virtual hot air balloon trip over this UNESCO world heritage site","leadin":"Saudi Arabia's Hegra Archaeological Site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been recreated in the metaverse, offering virtual tours of its ancient tombs.","summary":"Saudi Arabia's Hegra Archaeological Site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been recreated in the metaverse, offering virtual tours of its ancient tombs.","keySentence":null,"url":"fancy-a-virtual-hot-air-balloon-trip-over-saudi-arabias-ancient-tombs-now-you-can","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Have you ever dreamed of taking a hot air balloon over an ancient tomb in the Saudi Arabian desert? \n\nWell thanks to the emerging digital space of the metaverse, you can now do just that. \n\nIn November last year, Hegra became the first UNESCO World Heritage Site to enter the burgeoning digital space, via the platform Decentraland.\u00a0 \n\n\"We found that we're able to to bring the culture and the heritage we have to a much wider audience and at the same time expose what we have to offer to a lot more people than we normally would be able to through traditional channels,\" Ahmed Daoud, Executive Director of Innovation at the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), told Euronews Culture.\u00a0 \n\nWhat is Hegra?\u00a0 \n\nCarved into the rock, the Tomb of Lihyan towers over the Saudi desert. \n\nIt\u2019s part of the Hegra Archaeological Site, a stunning remnant of the Nabataean civilisation dating back to 1 BC. \n\n\"Hegra used to be the southernmost principal city of the Nabatean kingdom, which most people know of existing in Petra, but it also in AlUla,\" explains Daoud.\u00a0 \n\n\"But it was also the southernmost border of the Roman Empire, and also the path through which the majority of trade routes went through, including the spice trade route, as well as the Ottoman trade route.\" \n\nThe UNESCO World Heritage Site includes 111 tombs, most of which have decorated facades, as well as water walls and inscriptions in the rock left by ancient people. \n\nWhat to expect from the metaverse experience \n\nThe new metaverse experience allows its visitors to visit an accurate and to scale virtual recreation of the Tomb of Lihyan, which they can enter inside - something which is not possible for real-life visitors due to conservation. \n\nAccording to Daoud, \"For conservation purposes, you're not able to enter the tomb (in real-life) because it would over time degrade the integrity of the tomb itself. But we have scanned the inside of the tomb with LIDAR, and on the metaverse you can enter the tomb all you like and experience a physical digital representation that's extremely accurate of the inside of this tomb.\" \n\nNow, in cooperation with the Saudi Arabian Hot Air Ballooning Federation and to celebrate the AlUla Hot Air Balloon Festival, visitors can also enjoy an interactive hot air balloon experience which offers hyper-realistic and 360-degree views of Hegra's most famous landmark. \n\n\u201cJust the terrestrial experience on the ground may not do it for justice and experiencing it aerially will give you a true feeling of the scale of this magnificent site,\u201d emphasised Daoud. \n\nGoing forward, the RCU has plans to introduce more metaverse experiences around the AlUla metaverse world, teasing potential gaming options one day. \n\nBut even without the virtual hot air balloon rides, this first dip into the virtual world has shown there\u2019s great fascination with the ancient site. \n\n\u201cOne thing that's worthy of note that's extremely interesting and caught us by surprise is that we found people, before we launched any experiences around it, people were so interested and intrigued by the site that they were spending an average of a half hour each, every time they visited the site,\u201d says Daoud. \n\n\u201cSo obviously there was something magical that we stumbled upon that even exceeded our own expectations in terms of how engaging this was going to be to a digital audience that's inundated with a massive amount of content, but maybe lacking some of the substance that what we have to offer brings.\u201d \n\nThe experience is accessible through Decentraland , one of the most popular public platforms in the metaverse.\u00a0 \n\nCheck out the video above for our full chat with\u00a0Ahmed Daoud","htmlText":"<p>Have you ever dreamed of taking a hot air balloon over an ancient tomb in the Saudi Arabian desert?<\/p>\n<p>Well thanks to the emerging digital space of the metaverse, you can now do just that.<\/p>\n<p>In November last year, Hegra became the first UNESCO World Heritage Site to enter the burgeoning digital space, via the platform Decentraland.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\"We found that we're able to to bring the culture and the heritage we have to a much wider audience and at the same time expose what we have to offer to a lot more people than we normally would be able to through traditional channels,\" Ahmed Daoud, Executive Director of Innovation at the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), told Euronews Culture.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"6987042,7298600\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//culture//2022//09//02//venice-immersive-explores-the-metaverse-as-a-new-artistic-medium/">Venice Immersive explores the Metaverse as a new Artistic Medium<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//culture//2023//01//10//cristiano-ronaldo-and-girlfriend-georgina-rodriguez-may-be-allowed-to-break-saudia-arabian/">Cristiano Ronaldo and girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez may be allowed to break Saudi Arabian law<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>What is Hegra?<\/h2><div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//41//77//70//808x454_cmsv2_27d4f39f-c1cf-5a40-b8db-8c006cf5d985-7417770.jpg/" alt=\"AFP\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/41\/77\/70\/384x216_cmsv2_27d4f39f-c1cf-5a40-b8db-8c006cf5d985-7417770.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/41\/77\/70\/640x360_cmsv2_27d4f39f-c1cf-5a40-b8db-8c006cf5d985-7417770.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/41\/77\/70\/750x422_cmsv2_27d4f39f-c1cf-5a40-b8db-8c006cf5d985-7417770.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/41\/77\/70\/828x466_cmsv2_27d4f39f-c1cf-5a40-b8db-8c006cf5d985-7417770.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/41\/77\/70\/1080x608_cmsv2_27d4f39f-c1cf-5a40-b8db-8c006cf5d985-7417770.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/41\/77\/70\/1200x675_cmsv2_27d4f39f-c1cf-5a40-b8db-8c006cf5d985-7417770.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/41\/77\/70\/1920x1080_cmsv2_27d4f39f-c1cf-5a40-b8db-8c006cf5d985-7417770.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Cyclist ride past ancient Nabataean carved tombs as they cross the archaeological site of Hegra<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AFP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Carved into the rock, the Tomb of Lihyan towers over the Saudi desert.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s part of the Hegra Archaeological Site, a stunning remnant of the Nabataean civilisation dating back to 1 BC.<\/p>\n<p>\"Hegra used to be the southernmost principal city of the Nabatean kingdom, which most people know of existing in Petra, but it also in AlUla,\" explains Daoud.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\"But it was also the southernmost border of the Roman Empire, and also the path through which the majority of trade routes went through, including the spice trade route, as well as the Ottoman trade route.\"<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1214824585226588161\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The UNESCO World Heritage Site includes 111 tombs, most of which have decorated facades, as well as water walls and inscriptions in the rock left by ancient people.<\/p>\n<h2>What to expect from the metaverse experience<\/h2><div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//41//77//70//808x454_cmsv2_d6dd3ee0-b510-5a00-ac9b-ea370ff0ded6-7417770.jpg/" alt=\"Royal Commission for AlUla\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/41\/77\/70\/384x216_cmsv2_d6dd3ee0-b510-5a00-ac9b-ea370ff0ded6-7417770.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/41\/77\/70\/640x360_cmsv2_d6dd3ee0-b510-5a00-ac9b-ea370ff0ded6-7417770.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/41\/77\/70\/750x422_cmsv2_d6dd3ee0-b510-5a00-ac9b-ea370ff0ded6-7417770.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/41\/77\/70\/828x466_cmsv2_d6dd3ee0-b510-5a00-ac9b-ea370ff0ded6-7417770.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/41\/77\/70\/1080x608_cmsv2_d6dd3ee0-b510-5a00-ac9b-ea370ff0ded6-7417770.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/41\/77\/70\/1200x675_cmsv2_d6dd3ee0-b510-5a00-ac9b-ea370ff0ded6-7417770.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/41\/77\/70\/1920x1080_cmsv2_d6dd3ee0-b510-5a00-ac9b-ea370ff0ded6-7417770.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">A screen grab from the Hegra metaverse experience<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Royal Commission for AlUla<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The new metaverse experience allows its visitors to visit an accurate and to scale virtual recreation of the Tomb of Lihyan, which they can enter inside - something which is not possible for real-life visitors due to conservation.<\/p>\n<p>According to Daoud, \"For conservation purposes, you're not able to enter the tomb (in real-life) because it would over time degrade the integrity of the tomb itself. But we have scanned the inside of the tomb with LIDAR, and on the metaverse you can enter the tomb all you like and experience a physical digital representation that's extremely accurate of the inside of this tomb.\"<\/p>\n<p>Now, in cooperation with the Saudi Arabian Hot Air Ballooning Federation and to celebrate the AlUla Hot Air Balloon Festival, visitors can also enjoy an interactive hot air balloon experience which offers hyper-realistic and 360-degree views of Hegra's most famous landmark.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust the terrestrial experience on the ground may not do it for justice and experiencing it aerially will give you a true feeling of the scale of this magnificent site,\u201d emphasised Daoud.<\/p>\n<p>Going forward, the RCU has plans to introduce more metaverse experiences around the AlUla metaverse world, teasing potential gaming options one day.<\/p>\n<p>But even without the virtual hot air balloon rides, this first dip into the virtual world has shown there\u2019s great fascination with the ancient site.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne thing that's worthy of note that's extremely interesting and caught us by surprise is that we found people, before we launched any experiences around it, people were so interested and intrigued by the site that they were spending an average of a half hour each, every time they visited the site,\u201d says Daoud.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo obviously there was something magical that we stumbled upon that even exceeded our own expectations in terms of how engaging this was going to be to a digital audience that's inundated with a massive amount of content, but maybe lacking some of the substance that what we have to offer brings.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The experience is accessible through <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////play.decentraland.org//?position=-121%2C-149&realm=marvel&island=Ickzn\%22>Decentraland<\/a>, one of the most popular public platforms in the metaverse.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Check out the video above for our full chat with\u00a0Ahmed Daoud<\/h2>","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1676981180,"publishedAt":1677046259,"updatedAt":1677046261,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/2023\/02\/22\/fancy-a-virtual-hot-air-balloon-trip-over-saudi-arabias-ancient-tombs-now-you-can","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/41\/77\/70\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_b19714cd-8bf3-56a9-8207-4c0ffff0763a-7417770.jpg","altText":"The metaverse f","caption":"The metaverse f","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"did","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/41\/77\/70\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_27d4f39f-c1cf-5a40-b8db-8c006cf5d985-7417770.jpg","altText":"Cyclist ride past ancient Nabataean carved tombs as they cross the archaeological site of Hegra","caption":"Cyclist ride past ancient Nabataean carved tombs as they cross the archaeological site of Hegra","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AFP","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/41\/77\/70\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_d6dd3ee0-b510-5a00-ac9b-ea370ff0ded6-7417770.jpg","altText":"A screen grab from the Hegra metaverse experience","caption":"A screen grab from the Hegra metaverse experience","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Royal Commission for AlUla","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"farrant","title":"Theo Farrant","twitter":""}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[{"urlSafeValue":"farrant","title":"Theo 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This is MDLBEAST Soundstorm.","summary":"Over 700,000 enjoy headline acts from Tiesto, Marshmello, Post Malone, Bruno Mars and David Guetta, to name a few. This is MDLBEAST Soundstorm.","keySentence":null,"url":"why-mdlbeast-soundstorm-is-the-middle-easts-biggest-music-festival","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Some of the biggest names in the music industry performed at the recent MDLBEAST Soundstorm festival.\u00a0 \n\nTiesto, Marshmello, Post Malone, Bruno Mars and David Guetta were among the acts that entertained the 700,000-strong crowd in Riyadh.\u00a0 \n\nOne of the big draws was DJ Khaled who told Euronews, \u201cit brings unity, positivity, love that brings us all together. Music you know what I\u2019m saying. Everybody's just all love.\" \n\nAn equal role for male and female artists \n\nFemale representation was high on the agenda for MDLBEAST Soundstorm organizers.\u00a0 \n\nNada Al Halabi, MDLBEAST Strategy Director said: \"I really make sure that we have diversity in our events, whether in the lineup, whether in our attendees. We always make sure that our experience is catered to the females as well. Maybe I'm one of the few people who are into this position, but I'm hoping more to have more females in the space.\" \n\nIt is a sentiment echoed by Saudi DJ, Kayan who added: \"Music is for everybody. So I think males and females play an equal role. And for us as Saudi females, to be given the opportunity to express the beauty of the arts and music that we can share with the world this is something so important and we're very happy to be given this opportunity. \" \n\nRiyadh's loudest week \n\nThe festival site spans more than five and a half million square metres with park life areas for food outlets and street performers keeping festival goers entertained between sets at what's been dubbed \u2018the loudest week in Riyadh\u2019.\u00a0 \n\nAnd there's a lot of noise already about how it's going to expand in future editions.","htmlText":"<p>Some of the biggest names in the music industry performed at the recent MDLBEAST Soundstorm festival.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Tiesto, Marshmello, Post Malone, Bruno Mars and David Guetta were among the acts that entertained the 700,000-strong crowd in Riyadh.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>One of the big draws was DJ Khaled who told Euronews, \u201cit brings unity, positivity, love that brings us all together. Music you know what I\u2019m saying. Everybody's just all love.\"<\/p>\n<h2>An equal role for male and female artists<\/h2><p>Female representation was high on the agenda for MDLBEAST Soundstorm organizers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Nada Al Halabi, MDLBEAST Strategy Director said: \"I really make sure that we have diversity in our events, whether in the lineup, whether in our attendees. We always make sure that our experience is catered to the females as well. Maybe I'm one of the few people who are into this position, but I'm hoping more to have more females in the space.\"<\/p>\n<p>It is a sentiment echoed by Saudi DJ, Kayan who added: \"Music is for everybody. So I think males and females play an equal role. And for us as Saudi females, to be given the opportunity to express the beauty of the arts and music that we can share with the world this is something so important and we're very happy to be given this opportunity. \"<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7211580,6434242\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//11//24//watch-world-record-breaking-drone-display-in-riyadh/">Watch: World record-breaking drone display in Riyadh<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//01//27//dining-with-the-undead-in-riyadh-saudi/">Dining with the undead in Riyadh, Saudi<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>Riyadh's loudest week<\/h2><p>The festival site spans more than five and a half million square metres with park life areas for food outlets and street performers keeping festival goers entertained between sets at what's been dubbed \u2018the loudest week in Riyadh\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>And there's a lot of noise already about how it's going to expand in future editions.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1670323221,"publishedAt":1676052652,"updatedAt":1676052691,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/2023\/02\/10\/why-mdlbeast-soundstorm-is-the-middle-easts-biggest-music-festival","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/23\/39\/06\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_89eb4014-198d-5d26-88e4-93c87f35e1f5-7233906.jpg","altText":null,"caption":null,"captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"euronews","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":9489,"slug":"electronic-music","urlSafeValue":"electronic-music","title":"Electronic music","titleRaw":"Electronic 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Witherspoon","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"","program":{"id":"cult","urlSafeValue":"cult","title":"Cult","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/culture-series\/cult"},"vertical":"culture","verticals":[{"id":10,"slug":"culture","urlSafeValue":"culture","title":"Culture"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":10,"slug":"culture","urlSafeValue":"culture","title":"Culture"},"themes":[{"id":"culture-series","urlSafeValue":"culture-series","title":"Culture Series","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/culture-series"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":55,"urlSafeValue":"culture-series","title":"Culture-series"},"advertising":1,"advertisingData":{"startDate":1651398522,"endDate":2114333327,"type":"sponsored","isDfp":0,"slug":"visit-saudi","title":"Visit Saudi","disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":"Visit 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your breath away.","summary":"Explore Azeer's hipster cafes and hiking trails that are sure to take your breath away.","keySentence":null,"url":"mountaintops-flower-men-and-folk-art-inside-saudis-aseer-province","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Saudi\u2019s lesser-known Aseer region is a haven of hiking trails and hipster cafes. Book a hotel and a guide and explore Saudi\u2019s tallest peaks - of which there are plenty.\u00a0 \n\nAt around 3000 metres, Al Soudah is Saudi\u2019s highest mountain, thriving with luscious greenery. The rewards for treading its winding paths are epic panoramas at every turn. \n\nLifelong Aseer resident and local independent guide Zaki Al Arifi is as adept at mountain tours as he is at city excursions, revealing authentic Aseer layer by layer, from modern malls and street art to street markets and folk traditions.\u00a0 \n\nAbha: A Culture-rich Capital \n\nAbha, the capital, is a concentration of its finest attractions. \n\nOne of the most gratifying ways to experience Abha is by studying its mountaintops from the glass-bottomed Joy Venue cafe, artisan coffee in hand, perched on the cusp of Al Dhabbab Walkway, with baboons tight-roping along the railings. \n\nRousing vistas and designer cakes fuel further exploration. Art Street, a short drive away, just off King Khalid Road, is lined with yet more trendy cafes and decorated with colourful murals. Framed by rows of thick Jacaranda trees, the street blooms into a dramatic violet hue each May. \n\nA turning off Art Street leads to Abha\u2019s main market, an authentic retail experience serving the local community, but there are souvenirs to be had. Stock up on spices and try on a traditional local dress. \n\nFollow the breadcrumbs of Aseer\u2019s vibrant art history and you\u2019ll find yourself at the Fatima Museum. This institute is dedicated to preserving Al Qat Al Asiri, Aseer\u2019s female-led folk art used to decorate homes in a kaleidoscope of symbolic patterns. \n\nRijal Almaa: The Gingerbread Village \n\nFurther afield, discover the rich history of Rijal Almaa. Around an hour's drive west of Abha, it's known as the Gingerbread Village because the red brick buildings, with their icing-like window frames, look good enough to eat. \n\nThe resident Flower Men who hold festivals in the summer fascinate visitors with their floral crowns and age-old customs of playing the flutes, a pastime when herding their livestock, and dancing, a time-honoured way a celebrate. \n\nComplete a tour of Rijal Almaa with a trip to the Bees Tower Honey Refinery, a charming honey farm and education centre with an alluring array of free samples. This golden nectar is a key ingredient in one of the local must-try dishes, areeka . Made with hot griddled dough and garnished with local dates, it\u2019s smothered in sweet honey \u2013 a quintessential taste of Aseer.","htmlText":"<p>Saudi\u2019s lesser-known Aseer region is a haven of hiking trails and hipster cafes. Book a hotel and a guide and explore Saudi\u2019s tallest peaks - of which there are plenty.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>At around 3000 metres, Al Soudah is Saudi\u2019s highest mountain, thriving with luscious greenery. The rewards for treading its winding paths are epic panoramas at every turn.<\/p>\n<p>Lifelong Aseer resident and local independent guide Zaki Al Arifi is as adept at mountain tours as he is at city excursions, revealing authentic Aseer layer by layer, from modern malls and street art to street markets and folk traditions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.75\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//34//16//94//808x608_cmsv2_b2683006-8281-50b3-a21e-1fe2e319a092-7341694.jpg/" alt=\"Euronews\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/34\/16\/94\/384x288_cmsv2_b2683006-8281-50b3-a21e-1fe2e319a092-7341694.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/34\/16\/94\/640x480_cmsv2_b2683006-8281-50b3-a21e-1fe2e319a092-7341694.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/34\/16\/94\/750x563_cmsv2_b2683006-8281-50b3-a21e-1fe2e319a092-7341694.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/34\/16\/94\/828x621_cmsv2_b2683006-8281-50b3-a21e-1fe2e319a092-7341694.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/34\/16\/94\/1080x810_cmsv2_b2683006-8281-50b3-a21e-1fe2e319a092-7341694.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/34\/16\/94\/1200x900_cmsv2_b2683006-8281-50b3-a21e-1fe2e319a092-7341694.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/34\/16\/94\/1920x1440_cmsv2_b2683006-8281-50b3-a21e-1fe2e319a092-7341694.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Aseer Tour Guide Zaki Al Arifi in Rijal Almaa<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Euronews<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Abha: A Culture-rich Capital<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Abha, the capital, is a concentration of its finest attractions.<\/p>\n<p>One of the most gratifying ways to experience Abha is by studying its mountaintops from the glass-bottomed Joy Venue cafe, artisan coffee in hand, perched on the cusp of Al Dhabbab Walkway, with baboons tight-roping along the railings.<\/p>\n<p>Rousing vistas and designer cakes fuel further exploration. Art Street, a short drive away, just off King Khalid Road, is lined with yet more trendy cafes and decorated with colourful murals. Framed by rows of thick Jacaranda trees, the street blooms into a dramatic violet hue each May.<\/p>\n<p>A turning off Art Street leads to Abha\u2019s main market, an authentic retail experience serving the local community, but there are souvenirs to be had. Stock up on spices and try on a traditional local dress.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7108362,6488728,6107576\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2022//12//15//azerbaijan-health-and-well-being-in-the-most-unlikely-of-places/">Azerbaijan: Health and well-being in the most unlikely of places<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2022//02//25//a-dog-s-life-for-dubai-s-vips-very-important-pets/">A dog\u2019s life for Dubai\u2019s VIPs (very important pets)<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2021//10//05//as-a-golfing-destination-dubai-scores-a-hole-in-one/">As a golfing destination, Dubai scores a hole in one<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Follow the breadcrumbs of Aseer\u2019s vibrant art history and you\u2019ll find yourself at the Fatima Museum. This institute is dedicated to preserving Al Qat Al Asiri, Aseer\u2019s female-led folk art used to decorate homes in a kaleidoscope of symbolic patterns.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Rijal Almaa: The Gingerbread Village<\/strong><\/h2><p>Further afield, discover the rich history of Rijal Almaa. Around an hour's drive west of Abha, it's known as the Gingerbread Village because the red brick buildings, with their icing-like window frames, look good enough to eat.<\/p>\n<p>The resident Flower Men who hold festivals in the summer fascinate visitors with their floral crowns and age-old customs of playing the flutes, a pastime when herding their livestock, and dancing, a time-honoured way a celebrate.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.75\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//34//16//94//808x608_cmsv2_5f399d0c-6eec-527f-a307-f064a30ec163-7341694.jpg/" alt=\"Euronews\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/34\/16\/94\/384x288_cmsv2_5f399d0c-6eec-527f-a307-f064a30ec163-7341694.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/34\/16\/94\/640x480_cmsv2_5f399d0c-6eec-527f-a307-f064a30ec163-7341694.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/34\/16\/94\/750x563_cmsv2_5f399d0c-6eec-527f-a307-f064a30ec163-7341694.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/34\/16\/94\/828x621_cmsv2_5f399d0c-6eec-527f-a307-f064a30ec163-7341694.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/34\/16\/94\/1080x810_cmsv2_5f399d0c-6eec-527f-a307-f064a30ec163-7341694.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/34\/16\/94\/1200x900_cmsv2_5f399d0c-6eec-527f-a307-f064a30ec163-7341694.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/34\/16\/94\/1920x1440_cmsv2_5f399d0c-6eec-527f-a307-f064a30ec163-7341694.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Bees Tower Honey Refinery, Rijal<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Euronews<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Complete a tour of Rijal Almaa with a trip to the Bees Tower Honey Refinery, a charming honey farm and education centre with an alluring array of free samples. This golden nectar is a key ingredient in one of the local must-try dishes, <em>areeka<\/em>. Made with hot griddled dough and garnished with local dates, it\u2019s smothered in sweet honey \u2013 a quintessential taste of Aseer.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1674730913,"publishedAt":1675699242,"updatedAt":1675873739,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/travel\/2023\/02\/06\/mountaintops-flower-men-and-folk-art-inside-saudis-aseer-province","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/34\/16\/88\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_9556c6bc-5c6f-5f90-947e-02d98e55050c-7341688.jpg","altText":null,"caption":null,"captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"euronews","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":12639,"slug":"travel","urlSafeValue":"travel","title":"Travel","titleRaw":"Travel"},{"id":4221,"slug":"tourism","urlSafeValue":"tourism","title":"Tourism","titleRaw":"Tourism"},{"id":243,"slug":"saudi-arabia","urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","titleRaw":"Saudi Arabia"}],"related":[{"id":1680484},{"id":2209352}],"technicalTags":[{"path":"sponsor.sauditourism2022"},{"path":"sponsor"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":2},{"slug":"related","count":1}],"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":{"quotation":null,"description":null,"author":null},"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":null,"contentType":null,"displayOverlay":0},"displayType":"default","video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/EO\/SU\/23\/02\/06\/en\/230206_EOSU_50134496_50134497_180040_170827_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":"180040","filesizeBytes":23102103,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/EO\/SU\/23\/02\/06\/en\/230206_EOSU_50134496_50134497_180040_170827_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":"180040","filesizeBytes":35359895,"expiresAt":0}],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"WNnI7XLGec0"},"liveStream":[],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"","program":{"id":"explore","urlSafeValue":"explore","title":"explore","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/travel\/travel-series\/explore"},"vertical":"travel","verticals":[{"id":7,"slug":"travel","urlSafeValue":"travel","title":"Travel"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":7,"slug":"travel","urlSafeValue":"travel","title":"Travel"},"themes":[{"id":"travel-series","urlSafeValue":"travel-series","title":"Series","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/travel\/travel-series"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":32,"urlSafeValue":"travel-series","title":"Travel-series"},"advertising":1,"advertisingData":{"startDate":1651398522,"endDate":2114333327,"type":"sponsored","isDfp":0,"slug":"visit-saudi","title":"Visit Saudi","disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":"Visit Saudi","sponsorName":"visit-saudi","sponsorUrl":"https:\/\/www.visitsaudi.com\/en","sponsorLogo":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/campaigns\/504\/180x70_cmsv2_96286085-6103-510e-8c2d-e95dbf362efa-504.jpg","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":12,"urlSafeValue":"asia","title":"Asia"},"country":{"id":243,"urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","url":"\/news\/asia\/saudi-arabia"},"town":[],"versions":[],"path":"\/travel\/2023\/02\/06\/mountaintops-flower-men-and-folk-art-inside-saudis-aseer-province","lastModified":1675873739},{"id":2170808,"cid":7298600,"versionId":3,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230110_C2SU_49886050","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gs_sport','neg_facebook_2021','gs_sport_soccer','gb_safe','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_law_misc','gs_law','gs_tech_compute_net_social','gs_sport_darts','gs_family','gt_mixed','neg_saudiaramco','neg_mobkoi_castrol','gs_tech_social','neg_mobkoi_fb-weareonit_fs_28feb2019'","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Cristiano Ronaldo and girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez may be allowed to break Saudi Arabian law","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Here's how Cristiano Ronaldo may be allowed to break Saudi Arabia law","titleListing2":"Cristiano Ronaldo and girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez may be allowed to break Saudi Arabian law","leadin":"It's been reported that Cristiano Ronaldo and his girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez will be allowed to share a home in Saudi Arabia despite the Kingdom's laws which forbid unmarried couples from living together","summary":"It's been reported that Cristiano Ronaldo and his girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez will be allowed to share a home in Saudi Arabia despite the Kingdom's laws which forbid unmarried couples from living together","keySentence":null,"url":"cristiano-ronaldo-and-girlfriend-georgina-rodriguez-may-be-allowed-to-break-saudia-arabian","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Saudi Arabia is known for its strict laws and cultural customs, and one of them forbids unmarried individuals from living with each other, but that could be all about to change! At least, if you're Cristiano Ronaldo. \n\nThe Portuguese superstar recently completed a mega-money move to the Middle East, joining the Saudi Arabian team Al-Nassr FC on a two-and-a-half year deal worth an estimated \u20ac200 million a year. \n\nHe also took with him his Spanish supermodel and social media influencer girlfriend, Georgina Rodr\u00edguez. But the big question on many people's mind is, will they be allowed to live together in the country? \n\nWell, Saudi legal experts have reportedly confirmed that the Saudi authorities will \"turn a blind eye\" to accommodate for one of the greatest football players of all time, allowing him and his partner to settle into their first luxury property together.\u00a0 \n\nAccording to Spanish news outlet EFE, Ronaldo's status makes a punishment highly unlikely.\u00a0The agency also cited opinions from two Saudi lawyers, who stated that authorities are unlikely to take any legal action against the legendary player, who previously played for Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United. \n\n\"The Saudi Arabian authorities, today, do not interfere in this matter [in the case of foreigners], but the law continues to prohibit cohabitation outside of marriage\", another added. \n\nBut while the couple may be allowed to live with one another, they will have to be aware of and respect the other cultural norms and laws of the country.\u00a0 \n\nLaws in Saudi Arabia are quite different from those in Europe, and can be much stricter, particularly when it comes to criminal justice, human rights, women's rights, LGBT rights and religious freedom. \n\nIn particular, Rodr\u00edguez will have to follow the dress codes in the country, where women are expected to dress conservatively and cover their shoulders and knees in public. \n\nHowever, it's important to note that Saudi Arabia has been taking steps in recent years to modernise and open up to the world, so it's possible that the laws and customs may change in the future.","htmlText":"<p>Saudi Arabia is known for its strict laws and cultural customs, and one of them forbids unmarried individuals from living with each other, but that could be all about to change! At least, if you're Cristiano Ronaldo.<\/p>\n<p>The Portuguese superstar recently completed a mega-money move to the Middle East, joining the Saudi Arabian team Al-Nassr FC on a two-and-a-half year deal worth an estimated \u20ac200 million a year.<\/p>\n<p>He also took with him his Spanish supermodel and social media influencer girlfriend, Georgina Rodr\u00edguez. But the big question on many people's mind is, will they be allowed to live together in the country?<\/p>\n<p>Well, Saudi legal experts have reportedly confirmed that the Saudi authorities will \"turn a blind eye\" to accommodate for one of the greatest football players of all time, allowing him and his partner to settle into their first luxury property together.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7283934,7248408\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//culture//2023//01//03//blocking-out-the-haters-why-did-gerwyn-price-wear-ear-defenders-at-the-world-darts-champio/">Blocking out the haters: Why did Gerwyn Price wear ear defenders at the World Darts Championship?<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//culture//2022//12//14//michael-b-jordan-becomes-part-owner-of-afc-bournemouth-which-other-celebs-own-football-clu/">Michael B. Jordan becomes part owner of AFC Bournemouth: Which other celebs own football clubs?<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div data-oembed-url=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Cm9uevXrF-e\/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet\" class=\"widget widget--type-instagram widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Cm9uevXrF-e\/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.instagram.com//p//Cm9uevXrF-e//?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading\%22 style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\"> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" 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570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.instagram.com//p//Cm9uevXrF-e//?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading\%22 style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\">A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote> <script async src=https://www.euronews.com/"////platform.instagram.com//en_US//embeds.js/"> \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>According to Spanish news outlet EFE, Ronaldo's status makes a punishment highly unlikely.\u00a0The agency also cited opinions from two Saudi lawyers, who stated that authorities are unlikely to take any legal action against the legendary player, who previously played for Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United.<\/p>\n<p>\"The Saudi Arabian authorities, today, do not interfere in this matter [in the case of foreigners], but the law continues to prohibit cohabitation outside of marriage\", another added.<\/p>\n<p>But while the couple may be allowed to live with one another, they will have to be aware of and respect the other cultural norms and laws of the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Laws in Saudi Arabia are quite different from those in Europe, and can be much stricter, particularly when it comes to criminal justice, human rights, women's rights, LGBT rights and religious freedom.<\/p>\n<p>In particular, Rodr\u00edguez will have to follow the dress codes in the country, where women are expected to dress conservatively and cover their shoulders and knees in public.<\/p>\n<p>However, it's important to note that Saudi Arabia has been taking steps in recent years to modernise and open up to the world, so it's possible that the laws and customs may change in the future.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1673366106,"publishedAt":1673371903,"updatedAt":1673437901,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/2023\/01\/10\/cristiano-ronaldo-and-girlfriend-georgina-rodriguez-may-be-allowed-to-break-saudia-arabian","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/29\/86\/00\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_cecf1f5b-f2c1-5b76-b945-e9419e62f4e4-7298600.jpg","altText":"Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez may be excused from Saudi Arabia's laws which forbid unmarried couples to live together","caption":"Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez may be excused from Saudi Arabia's laws which forbid unmarried couples to live together","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP 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Arabia","url":"\/news\/asia\/saudi-arabia"},"town":[],"versions":[],"path":"\/culture\/2023\/01\/10\/cristiano-ronaldo-and-girlfriend-georgina-rodriguez-may-be-allowed-to-break-saudia-arabian","lastModified":1673437901},{"id":2167656,"cid":7290670,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230106_BZSU_49839819","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"grapeshot":"'neg_facebook_q4','gs_law','gb_safe','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','neg_facebook_2021','gt_negative','neg_mobkoi_castrol','castrol_negative_uk','gs_politics','gs_politics_misc','neg_saudiaramco','gv_crime','gs_politics_issues_policy','gt_negative_anger','gt_negative_fear','gs_tech_compute_net'","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Saudi Arabia government 'infiltrates' Wikipedia and jails two staff to 'control narrative'","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Saudi Arabia jails two Wikipedia staff to 'control content'","titleListing2":"The infiltration of Wikipedia and jailing of staff \u201cis another example of the Saudi government's ongoing efforts to control online information and knowledge production in our region,\" said one of the Beritut-based NGOs making the claim.","leadin":"Two Saudi Wikipedia administrators were jailed for 32 years and eight years in government efforts to control information, say NGOs.","summary":"Two Saudi Wikipedia administrators were jailed for 32 years and eight years in government efforts to control information, say NGOs.","keySentence":null,"url":"saudi-arabia-government-infiltrates-wikipedia-and-jails-two-staff-to-control-narrative","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Saudi Arabian authorities have \"infiltrated\" Wikipedia and convicted two administrators in an attempt to control the site's editorial content, according to two non-governmental organisations (NGOs). \n\nIt comes weeks after a US court sentenced a former Twitter employee to three and a half years in prison for spying for Saudi officials. \n\nTwo organisations, Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) and SMEX, based in Washington and Beirut respectively, said in a joint statement that \"the Saudi Arabian government infiltrated Wikipedia by recruiting the organization's highest-ranked administrators in the country... to control information about the country and prosecuting those who contributed critical information about political detainees\". \n\nThe NGOs said they had evidence of Wikipedia's penetration by the Saudi government based on interviews with sources close to the website and the imprisoned administrators. \n\n\nAccording to the NGOs, two high-ranking Wikipedia administrators who had access to edit fully protected pages, Ossama Khalid and Ziyad al-Sofiani, were arrested in Saudi Arabia in September 2020, and sentenced to 32 and 8 years in prison respectively. \n\nThere was no immediate comment from the Saudi government, and they did not immediately respond to requests to comment from AFP. \n\nThe arrests and the infiltration of Wikipedia \"shows a terrifying glimpse of how the Saudi government seeks to control the narrative and Wikipedia,\" the DAWN official told AFP. \n\n'Conflicts of interest' \n\nSarah Leah Whitson, DAWN's Executive Director, also said the Saudi government's infiltration of Wikipedia demonstrated \"not only its persistent use of spies inside international organisations but the dangers of attempting to produce independent content in the country\". \n\nDAWN was founded by Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, whose murder in Turkey in 2018 was blamed by US intelligence on Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which Saudi authorities deny. \n\nDAWN and Smex's statement weeks after Wikimedia announced the banning of 16 volunteers from its educational platforms who had \"conflicts of interest\" when editing pages on Wikipedia in the Middle East and North Africa region. \n\nWikimedia said it \"was able to confirm that a number of users with close connections with external parties were editing the platform in a coordinated fashion to advance the aim of those parties\". \n\n\"While we do not know exactly where they reside, the actions targeting volunteers, who may have been Saudi, were part of a much broader effort... across the region,\" Wikimedia said.","htmlText":"<p>Saudi Arabian authorities have \"infiltrated\" Wikipedia and convicted two administrators in an attempt to control the site's editorial content, according to two non-governmental organisations (NGOs).<\/p>\n<p>It comes weeks after a US court sentenced a former Twitter employee to three and a half years in prison for spying for Saudi officials.<\/p>\n<p>Two organisations, Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) and SMEX, based in Washington and Beirut respectively, said in a joint statement that \"the Saudi Arabian government infiltrated Wikipedia by recruiting the organization's highest-ranked administrators in the country... to control information about the country and prosecuting those who contributed critical information about political detainees\".<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7284298\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//next//2023//01//03//trolls-are-using-this-life-like-video-game-to-spread-misinformation-about-the-ukraine-war/">Trolls are using this life-like video game to spread misinformation about the Ukraine war<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The NGOs said they had evidence of Wikipedia's penetration by the Saudi government based on interviews with sources close to the website and the imprisoned administrators. <\/p>\n<p>According to the NGOs, two high-ranking Wikipedia administrators who had access to edit fully protected pages, Ossama Khalid and Ziyad al-Sofiani, were arrested in Saudi Arabia in September 2020, and sentenced to 32 and 8 years in prison respectively.<\/p>\n<p>There was no immediate comment from the Saudi government, and they did not immediately respond to requests to comment from AFP.<\/p>\n<p>The arrests and the infiltration of Wikipedia \"shows a terrifying glimpse of how the Saudi government seeks to control the narrative and Wikipedia,\" the DAWN official told AFP.<\/p>\n<h2>'Conflicts of interest'<\/h2><p>Sarah Leah Whitson, DAWN's Executive Director, also said the Saudi government's infiltration of Wikipedia demonstrated \"not only its persistent use of spies inside international organisations but the dangers of attempting to produce independent content in the country\".<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7285958\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//next//2023//01//04//the-twitter-files-were-content-moderators-too-close-to-the-intelligence-community/">The Twitter Files: Were content moderators too close to the intelligence community?<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>DAWN was founded by Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, whose murder in Turkey in 2018 was blamed by US intelligence on Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which Saudi authorities deny.<\/p>\n<p>DAWN and Smex's <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////dawnmena.org//saudi-arabia-government-agents-infiltrate-wikipedia-sentence-independent-wikipedia-administrators-to-prison///">statement weeks after Wikimedia announced the banning of 16 volunteers from its educational platforms who had \"conflicts of interest\" when editing pages on Wikipedia in the Middle East and North Africa region.<\/p>\n<p>Wikimedia said it \"was able to confirm that a number of users with close connections with external parties were editing the platform in a coordinated fashion to advance the aim of those parties\".<\/p>\n<p>\"While we do not know exactly where they reside, the actions targeting volunteers, who may have been Saudi, were part of a much broader effort... across the region,\" Wikimedia said.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1673024082,"publishedAt":1673026762,"updatedAt":1673026850,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/2023\/01\/06\/saudi-arabia-government-infiltrates-wikipedia-and-jails-two-staff-to-control-narrative","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/29\/06\/70\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_feb35973-c8f8-5002-b213-2d0aaa4b2355-7290670.jpg","altText":"Two Saudi Wikipedia administrators jailed for 32 years and eight years in government efforts to control information, say NGOs.","caption":"Two Saudi Wikipedia administrators jailed for 32 years and eight years in government efforts to control information, say NGOs.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Canva\/Euronews","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":243,"slug":"saudi-arabia","urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","titleRaw":"Saudi Arabia"},{"id":10553,"slug":"saudi-arabia-politics","urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia-politics","title":"Saudi Arabia politics","titleRaw":"Saudi Arabia politics"},{"id":10103,"slug":"wikipedia","urlSafeValue":"wikipedia","title":"Wikipedia","titleRaw":"Wikipedia"},{"id":17228,"slug":"jamal-khashoggi","urlSafeValue":"jamal-khashoggi","title":"Jamal Khashoggi","titleRaw":"Jamal Khashoggi"},{"id":8089,"slug":"press-freedom","urlSafeValue":"press-freedom","title":"Press freedom","titleRaw":"Press 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News","online":0,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/biztech-news\/biztech-news"},"vertical":"next","verticals":[{"id":9,"slug":"next","urlSafeValue":"next","title":"Next"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":9,"slug":"next","urlSafeValue":"next","title":"Next"},"themes":[{"id":"biztech-news","urlSafeValue":"biztech-news","title":"Biztech news","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/biztech-news"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":40,"urlSafeValue":"biztech-news","title":"Biztech-news"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":0,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":12,"urlSafeValue":"asia","title":"Asia"},"country":{"id":243,"urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi 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25,000-capacity Mrsool Park in Riyadh, which erupts in cheers and pyrotechnics as he appears in Al Nassr's yellow and blue kit.","summary":"Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo received a thunderous reception at a packed, 25,000-capacity Mrsool Park in Riyadh, which erupts in cheers and pyrotechnics as he appears in Al Nassr's yellow and blue kit.","keySentence":null,"url":"watch-cristiano-ronaldo-welcomed-in-riyadh-by-his-new-club-al-nassr","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Cristiano Ronaldo described himself as an \"unique player\" and insisted his career was not over as he received a thunderous welcome at his new club in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. \n\nThe Portuguese superstar who is 37, said he had done all he could in Europe and was hungry for a new challenge as he was greeted by fireworks and deafening roars at Al Nassr's Mrsool Park stadium. \n\nThe five-time Ballon d'Or winner, with five Champions League titles to his name, signed for an estimated 200 million euros, not long after his acrimonious split with Manchester United. \n\nWatch the video in the player above.","htmlText":"<p>Cristiano Ronaldo described himself as an \"unique player\" and insisted his career was not over as he received a thunderous welcome at his new club in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>The Portuguese superstar who is 37, said he had done all he could in Europe and was hungry for a new challenge as he was greeted by fireworks and deafening roars at Al Nassr's Mrsool Park stadium.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7207650,7208450\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//11//22//cristiano-ronaldo-to-leave-manchester-united-with-immediate-effect-club-confirms/">Cristiano Ronaldo to leave Manchester United with 'immediate effect', club confirms<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//culture//2022//11//24//cristiano-ronaldo-stops-traffic-with-wax-figure-at-times-square-for-madame-tussauds-new-yo/">Cristiano Ronaldo stops traffic with wax figure at Times Square for Madame Tussauds New York<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The five-time Ballon d'Or winner, with five Champions League titles to his name, signed for an estimated 200 million euros, not long after his acrimonious split with Manchester United.<\/p>\n<p><em>Watch the video in the player above.<\/em><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1672829646,"publishedAt":1672831842,"updatedAt":1672831845,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/01\/04\/watch-cristiano-ronaldo-welcomed-in-riyadh-by-his-new-club-al-nassr","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/28\/53\/72\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_da6e5d93-21ad-5038-bf05-17e1f9aaf977-7285372.jpg","altText":"Cristiano Ronaldo smiles during a press conference for his official unveiling as a new member of Al Nassr soccer club in in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday January 3rd.","caption":"Cristiano Ronaldo smiles during a press conference for his official unveiling as a new member of Al Nassr soccer club in in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday January 3rd.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":10111,"slug":"cristiano-ronaldo","urlSafeValue":"cristiano-ronaldo","title":"Cristiano Ronaldo","titleRaw":"Cristiano Ronaldo"},{"id":243,"slug":"saudi-arabia","urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","titleRaw":"Saudi Arabia"},{"id":8257,"slug":"football","urlSafeValue":"football","title":"Football","titleRaw":"Football"},{"id":16576,"slug":"ronaldo","urlSafeValue":"ronaldo","title":"Ronaldo","titleRaw":"Ronaldo"}],"related":[{"id":2150270},{"id":2152894}],"technicalTags":[],"widgets":[{"slug":"related","count":1}],"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":{"quotation":null,"description":null,"author":null},"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":null,"contentType":null,"displayOverlay":0},"displayType":"default","video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NC\/SU\/23\/01\/04\/en\/230104_NCSU_49802501_49803419_60000_121922_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":"60000","filesizeBytes":7682380,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NC\/SU\/23\/01\/04\/en\/230104_NCSU_49802501_49803419_60000_121922_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":"60000","filesizeBytes":11750220,"expiresAt":0}],"externalPartners":{"dailymotionId":"x8gwgek","youtubeId":"WFuqoDvWzHI"},"liveStream":[],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"","program":{"id":"nocomment","urlSafeValue":"nocomment","title":"no comment","online":1,"url":"\/nocomment"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":0,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":12,"urlSafeValue":"asia","title":"Asia"},"country":{"id":243,"urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","url":"\/news\/asia\/saudi-arabia"},"town":{"id":4030,"urlSafeValue":"riyadh","title":"Riyadh"},"versions":[],"path":"\/video\/2023\/01\/04\/watch-cristiano-ronaldo-welcomed-in-riyadh-by-his-new-club-al-nassr","lastModified":1672831845},{"id":2145082,"cid":7239974,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"221209_NWSU_49460832","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','shadow9hu7_pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_politics','gs_politics_issues_policy','gs_politics_misc','neg_facebook_2021','gb_safe','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','sm_politics','neg_nespresso','neg_intel_en','neg_facebook_q4','neg_intel_mobkoi','gs_busfin','gs_economy_misc','gs_economy','gs_covid19','gt_positive_curiosity','gs_busfin_indus','gt_positive'","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"'A new era': China's Xi hails Saudi Arabia visit with new political and trade deals","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"'A new era': China's Xi hails Saudi Arabia visit","titleListing2":"'A new era': China's Xi hails Saudi Arabia visit with new political and trade deals","leadin":"The meeting between the two leaders is being carefully watched by the United States, whose relations with the Gulf-state and the Asian superpower remain highly fractured","summary":"The meeting between the two leaders is being carefully watched by the United States, whose relations with the Gulf-state and the Asian superpower remain highly fractured","keySentence":null,"url":"a-new-era-chinas-xi-hails-saudi-arabia-visit-with-new-political-and-trade-deals","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Thursday while on a visit to the kingdom, where the two leaders bolstered political and economic ties. The Chinese leader hailed the visit as a \"new era\" for the two states.\u00a0 \n\nXi arrived at Al Yamama Palace in Riyadh and was greeted by King Salman's assertive son, who stands ready to rule the oil-rich kingdom in the decades to come. \n\nThe two leaders signed comprehensive strategic partnership agreements, including one involving tech company Huawei and another securing more Saudi crude oil exports to China. \n\nChina, the world\u2019s largest crude oil importer, relies heavily on Saudi oil, paying tens of billions of dollars annually to the kingdom. \n\nGulf Arab states are trying to reconfigure their foreign policy as the United States turns its attention elsewhere in the world. \n\nRussia\u2019s war on Ukraine \u2013 and the West\u2019s hardening stance on Moscow \u2013 has also left the Arab countries wanting to cement ties with China. \n\nFor MBS, hosting Xi boosts his own international profile after being linked to the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. \n\nBeyond China\u2019s oil purchases, its construction expertise could be tapped as well for Prince Mohammed\u2019s planned $500 billion (or \u20ac472 bln) futuristic city of Neom on the Red Sea. \n\nChinese construction firms have worked elsewhere in Arab countries in the Persian Gulf, particularly in Dubai in the UAE. \n\nThe trip to Saudi Arabia marks a further move by Xi to restore his global profile after spending most of the pandemic inside China.\u00a0 The visit is his third overseas trip since early 2020. \n\nIt also comes as Xi, who was granted a third five-year term as leader in October, has faced street protests over his zero-COVID-19 policies that represent the most significant challenge to his rule. \n\nDuring the visit, Xi is also expected to attend the inaugural China-Arab States Summit and a meeting of the GCC. \n\nWatch the video in the player above.","htmlText":"<p>Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Thursday while on a visit to the kingdom, where the two leaders bolstered political and economic ties. The Chinese leader hailed the visit as a \"new era\" for the two states.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Xi arrived at Al Yamama Palace in Riyadh and was greeted by King Salman's assertive son, who stands ready to rule the oil-rich kingdom in the decades to come.<\/p>\n<p>The two leaders signed comprehensive strategic partnership agreements, including one involving tech company Huawei and another securing more Saudi crude oil exports to China.<\/p>\n<p>China, the world\u2019s largest crude oil importer, relies heavily on Saudi oil, paying tens of billions of dollars annually to the kingdom.<\/p>\n<p>Gulf Arab states are trying to reconfigure their foreign policy as the United States turns its attention elsewhere in the world.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7230882\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//12//05//price-cap-on-russian-crude-oil-exports-due-to-come-into-effect/">Price cap on Russian crude oil exports due to come into effect<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Russia\u2019s war on Ukraine \u2013 and the West\u2019s hardening stance on Moscow \u2013 has also left the Arab countries wanting to cement ties with China.<\/p>\n<p>For MBS, hosting Xi boosts his own international profile after being linked to the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1601013027653881856\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Beyond China\u2019s oil purchases, its construction expertise could be tapped as well for Prince Mohammed\u2019s planned $500 billion (or \u20ac472 bln) futuristic city of Neom on the Red Sea.<\/p>\n<p>Chinese construction firms have worked elsewhere in Arab countries in the Persian Gulf, particularly in Dubai in the UAE.<\/p>\n<p>The trip to Saudi Arabia marks a further move by Xi to restore his global profile after spending most of the pandemic inside China.\u00a0The visit is his third overseas trip since early 2020.<\/p>\n<p>It also comes as Xi, who was granted a third five-year term as leader in October, has faced street <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//11//28//china-eases-some-covid-19-measures-but-affirms-zero-tolerance-strategy-amid-anti-lockdown-/">protests over his zero-COVID-19<\/strong><\/a> policies that represent the most significant challenge to his rule.<\/p>\n<p>During the visit, Xi is also expected to attend the inaugural China-Arab States Summit and a meeting of the GCC.<\/p>\n<p><em>Watch the video in the player above.<\/em><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1670542090,"publishedAt":1670567919,"updatedAt":1670567926,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/12\/09\/a-new-era-chinas-xi-hails-saudi-arabia-visit-with-new-political-and-trade-deals","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/23\/99\/74\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_ef65c606-f52f-5ea0-9f79-aa6ee2a5cc5f-7239974.jpg","altText":"Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, shakes hands with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman","caption":"Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, shakes hands with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Untitled\/AP","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":4000,"height":2666}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":11408,"slug":"xi-jinping","urlSafeValue":"xi-jinping","title":"Xi Jinping","titleRaw":"Xi Jinping"},{"id":243,"slug":"saudi-arabia","urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","titleRaw":"Saudi Arabia"},{"id":27610,"slug":"crude-oil","urlSafeValue":"crude-oil","title":"crude oil","titleRaw":"crude oil"}],"related":[{"id":2144748},{"id":2143238},{"id":2127956}],"technicalTags":[],"widgets":[{"slug":"twitter","count":1},{"slug":"related","count":1}],"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":{"quotation":null,"description":null,"author":null},"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":null,"contentType":null,"displayOverlay":0},"displayType":"default","video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/22\/12\/09\/en\/221209_NWSU_49460832_49460876_35000_061049_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":"35000","filesizeBytes":4742008,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/22\/12\/09\/en\/221209_NWSU_49460832_49460876_35000_061049_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":"35000","filesizeBytes":6724984,"expiresAt":0}],"externalPartners":{"dailymotionId":"x8g6ptw","youtubeId":"WXk_vl9iiL8"},"liveStream":[],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world 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Arabia","url":"\/news\/asia\/saudi-arabia"},"town":{"id":4030,"urlSafeValue":"riyadh","title":"Riyadh"},"versions":[],"path":"\/2022\/12\/09\/a-new-era-chinas-xi-hails-saudi-arabia-visit-with-new-political-and-trade-deals","lastModified":1670567926},{"id":2143192,"cid":7235662,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"221207_HMSU_49427555","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gs_tech','gb_safe','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_tech_compute_net','gs_tech_compute','gs_science_misc','neg_facebook_2021','gs_tech_computing','bespoke_kaspersky','neg_facebook_q4','gs_personalfin_utility_isp','gs_education','gs_personalfin','neg_bucherer','castrol_negative_uk'","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Your windows may soon produce wireless Internet connections powered by sunlight","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Scientists design windows that convert sunlight into wireless Internet","titleListing2":"Your windows may soon produce wireless Internet connections powered by sunlight","leadin":"Saudi scientists have coded sunlight into an Internet signal thanks to a specially adapted glass window.","summary":"Saudi scientists have coded sunlight into an Internet signal thanks to a specially adapted glass window.","keySentence":null,"url":"your-windows-may-soon-produce-wireless-internet-connections-powered-by-sunlight","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Windows are fast becoming portals into the future. \n\nScientists in Switzerland are already paving the way for electricity-generating windows that could help power our homes and devices. But now researchers in Saudi Arabia have developed a technology capable of transmitting a wireless Internet signal powered by the Sun through specialised glass. \n\n\"I hope that [in future] smart modern office buildings with gigantic glass windows will work with the Internet based on this technology,\" Professor Osama Amin, lead researcher on the project at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, told Euronews Next. \n\n\nThe team of scientists says that if they manage to achieve a high data rate, they will be able to do \"anything\". \n\nTheir technology harnessing windows for Internet data transfer is still in its infancy, with a broadband speed of around 15-16 Kbps. \n\n\"The intention is to improve that number radically, but for now, it can already be used for IoT applications because sensors need a low data rate,\" he said. \n\n\"We're going towards the smart house. And any type of sensor should benefit from this\". \n\nSunlight turned into binary ones and zeros \n\nSo, how does it work? Imagine glass windows as a modem, says Amin. \n\nThe Saudi innovation uses the polarisation of sunlight to transfer data by using smart glass elements known as dual-cell liquid crystal shutters (DLS). \n\nElectromagnetic polarisation is one of the properties of electromagnetic waves, such as light. \n\nPolarised sunglasses, for example, use electromagnetic polarisation to filter light. They block reflected light and let only useful light through, reducing eyestrain and glare to facilitate vision that\u2019s safe and comfortable for the eyes. \n\n\"The light that comes unpolarised has lots of direction, but the polarisation organises the direction, allowing for some light to pass and some light not to,\" Amin explained. \n\nBut how does this relate to the Internet? \n\nPolarisation allows for the sunlight to be organised into \u201ca kind of one-and-zero language, which is predetermined by the original data coming through a LAN cable connected to the edge of the smart glass,\u201d he added. \n\n\"A LAN cable goes to the router, and then we can have this WiFi signal. In our system, the LAN cable will be connected to the edge of the glass, the glass will be a transmitter for the land cable, and instead of using electricity to propagate the signal, it will just use the sunlight\". \n\nThe variation of the light, which is imperceptible to the human eye, communicates the wireless Internet data to the devices in the room. \n\n\"Basically, what we have done is a small device with multiple layers. And these layers can change the light's polarity by modelling the glass's transparency. And when you change the opacity very fast, a stream of data occurs,\" said Sahar Ammar a PhD Student who participated in the research. \n\nAre our devices ready to pick up Internet from glass? \n\nUsually, wireless communication technologies are based on either radio frequency communication, or optical communication which requires energy-expensive active light sources, such as lasers and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). \n\nThe Saudi system functions like any visible light communication (VLC) system, which modulates the light of LEDs to carry information. \n\nHowever, the team\u2019s approach is innovative because it also modulates the intensity of the natural sunlight while also encoding Internet data in it through the opacity of glass, which can then be detected and decoded by devices in the room. \n\nThe devices that could potentially benefit from the sun-powered data transfer technology need to be specially designed to detect the polarised information. \n\nHowever, smartphone camera developers are already working to make devices able to decipher data sent this way. \n\n\"Using sustainable sunlight for data transmission as a green option for wireless communications, that\u2019s the goal,\" he added. \n\nThe research was published in the journal IEEE Photonic in October.","htmlText":"<p>Windows are fast becoming portals into the future.<\/p>\n<p>Scientists in Switzerland are already paving the way for electricity-generating windows that could help power our homes and devices. But now researchers in Saudi Arabia have developed a technology capable of transmitting a wireless Internet signal powered by the Sun through specialised glass.<\/p>\n<p>\"I hope that [in future] smart modern office buildings with gigantic glass windows will work with the Internet based on this technology,\" Professor Osama Amin, lead researcher on the project at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, told Euronews Next. <\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7174054\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//next//2022//11//12//electricity-generating-windows-swiss-scientists-design-more-efficient-transparent-solar-pa/">Electricity-generating windows? Swiss scientists design more efficient transparent solar panels<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The team of scientists says that if they manage to achieve a high data rate, they will be able to do \"anything\".<\/p>\n<p>Their technology harnessing windows for Internet data transfer is still in its infancy, with a broadband speed of around 15-16 Kbps.<\/p>\n<p>\"The intention is to improve that number radically, but for now, it can already be used for IoT applications because sensors need a low data rate,\" he said.<\/p>\n<p>\"We're going towards the smart house. And any type of sensor should benefit from this\".<\/p>\n<h2>Sunlight turned into binary ones and zeros<\/h2><p>So, how does it work? Imagine glass windows as a modem, says Amin.<\/p>\n<p>The Saudi innovation uses the polarisation of sunlight to transfer data by using smart glass elements known as dual-cell liquid crystal shutters (DLS).<\/p>\n<p>Electromagnetic polarisation is one of the properties of electromagnetic waves, such as light.<\/p>\n<p>Polarised sunglasses, for example, use electromagnetic polarisation to filter light. They block reflected light and let only useful light through, reducing eyestrain and glare to facilitate vision that\u2019s safe and comfortable for the eyes.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-medium\n widget--align-right\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">Using sustainable sunlight for data transmission as a green option for wireless communications, that\u2019s the goal.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <div class=\"widget__authorText\">\n Osama Amin\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"widget__author_descriptionText\">\n Professor, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology\n <\/div>\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\"The light that comes unpolarised has lots of direction, but the polarisation organises the direction, allowing for some light to pass and some light not to,\" Amin explained.<\/p>\n<p>But how does this relate to the Internet?<\/p>\n<p>Polarisation allows for the sunlight to be organised into \u201ca kind of one-and-zero language, which is predetermined by the original data coming through a LAN cable connected to the edge of the smart glass,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>\"A LAN cable goes to the router, and then we can have this WiFi signal. In our system, the LAN cable will be connected to the edge of the glass, the glass will be a transmitter for the land cable, and instead of using electricity to propagate the signal, it will just use the sunlight\".<\/p>\n<p>The variation of the light, which is imperceptible to the human eye, communicates the wireless Internet data to the devices in the room.<\/p>\n<p>\"Basically, what we have done is a small device with multiple layers. And these layers can change the light's polarity by modelling the glass's transparency. And when you change the opacity very fast, a stream of data occurs,\" said Sahar Ammar a PhD Student who participated in the research.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7234842\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//next//2022//12//06//apple-sued-by-women-over-dangerous-airtag-stalking-by-ex-partners/">Apple sued by women over 'dangerous' AirTag stalking<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>Are our devices ready to pick up Internet from glass?<\/h2><p>Usually, wireless communication technologies are based on either radio frequency communication, or optical communication which requires energy-expensive active light sources, such as lasers and light-emitting diodes (LEDs).<\/p>\n<p>The Saudi system functions like any visible light communication (VLC) system, which modulates the light of LEDs to carry information.<\/p>\n<p>However, the team\u2019s approach is innovative because it also modulates the intensity of the natural sunlight while also encoding Internet data in it through the opacity of glass, which can then be detected and decoded by devices in the room.<\/p>\n<p>The devices that could potentially benefit from the sun-powered data transfer technology need to be specially designed to detect the polarised information.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7183358\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//next//2022//11//09//oculus-founder-claims-he-made-a-vr-headset-that-actually-kills-you-if-you-die-in-a-game/">Oculus founder claims he made a VR headset that actually kills you if you die in a game<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>However, smartphone camera developers are already working to make devices able to decipher data sent this way.<\/p>\n<p>\"Using sustainable sunlight for data transmission as a green option for wireless communications, that\u2019s the goal,\" he added.<\/p>\n<p>The research was published in the journal IEEE Photonic in October.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1670385699,"publishedAt":1670434314,"updatedAt":1670434426,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/2022\/12\/07\/your-windows-may-soon-produce-wireless-internet-connections-powered-by-sunlight","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/23\/56\/62\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_dc84030d-2244-5382-bda2-620391a41233-7235662.jpg","altText":"The new Saudi innovation would see sunlight power Internet signals to devices through a room through specialised windows.","caption":"The new Saudi innovation would see sunlight power Internet signals to devices through a room through specialised windows.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Canva","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"height":900}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"bello","title":"Camille Bello","twitter":"@CamilleBelloD"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":18934,"slug":"internet-of-things","urlSafeValue":"internet-of-things","title":"Internet of things","titleRaw":"Internet of things"},{"id":152,"slug":"internet","urlSafeValue":"internet","title":"Internet","titleRaw":"Internet"},{"id":20986,"slug":"internet-speed","urlSafeValue":"internet-speed","title":"Internet speed","titleRaw":"Internet speed"},{"id":389,"slug":"technology","urlSafeValue":"technology","title":"Technology","titleRaw":"Technology"}],"related":[{"id":2148518},{"id":2155330},{"id":2189128}],"technicalTags":[],"widgets":[{"slug":"quotation","count":1},{"slug":"related","count":3}],"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":{"quotation":null,"description":null,"author":null},"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":null,"contentType":null,"displayOverlay":0},"displayType":"default","video":0,"videos":[],"externalPartners":[],"liveStream":[],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"","program":{"id":"home","urlSafeValue":"home","title":"Home","online":0,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/home\/home"},"vertical":"next","verticals":[{"id":9,"slug":"next","urlSafeValue":"next","title":"Next"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":9,"slug":"next","urlSafeValue":"next","title":"Next"},"themes":[{"id":"home","urlSafeValue":"home","title":"Home","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/home"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":44,"urlSafeValue":"home","title":"Home"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":0,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":12,"urlSafeValue":"asia","title":"Asia"},"country":{"id":243,"urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","url":"\/news\/asia\/saudi-arabia"},"town":[],"versions":[],"path":"\/next\/2022\/12\/07\/your-windows-may-soon-produce-wireless-internet-connections-powered-by-sunlight","lastModified":1670434426},{"id":2137586,"cid":7222380,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"221130_TNSU_49327110","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gs_science','gb_safe','pos_facebook','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','progressivemedia','gs_science_environ','gs_science_environment','neg_facebook_2021','gs_entertain','gs_travel_type','gt_positive','gs_busfin_indus_hospitality','neg_saudiaramco','gs_busfin','gs_travel_type_hotelmotel','neg_audi_list1','climatechange','environment','neg_equinor','gt_positive_curiosity'","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Edward Norton: \"Everyone from CEOs to Hollywood actors should join the fight against climate change\"","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Actor Edward Norton calls for worldwide action on climate change","titleListing2":"Actor Edward Norton: \"Everyone from CEOs to Hollywood actors should join the fight against climate change.\"","leadin":"\u201cWe need to tell a better story about what's going on in the world and why we all need to get involved, actor Edward Norton tells Euronews Culture.","summary":"\u201cWe need to tell a better story about what's going on in the world and why we all need to get involved, actor Edward Norton tells Euronews Culture.","keySentence":null,"url":"edward-norton-everyone-from-ceos-to-hollywood-actors-should-join-the-fight-against-climate","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Hollywood actor Edward Norton has filmed movies all over the world, but he\u2019s one high-flyer you won\u2019t catch on a private jet. \n\nSpeaking at the World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit (WTTC) on Tuesday, Norton called for more action on climate change and spoke about the battle facing the next generation. \n\n\u201cMaking films is storytelling, obviously\u2026I also think in some sense, we need to tell a better story about what's going on in the world and why we all need to get involved,\u201d the \u2018Fight Club\u2019 star says. \n\n\u201cThe challenge of our era is climate change and sustainability and I think I think everyone should be involved in it. Actors should be involved in it, tourism operators should be involved in it, airline CEOs need to be involved in it. We need everybody involved in this conversation.\u201d \n\nNorton, a United Nations Global Ambassador, joined global tourism leaders from 185 countries in Riyadh for the 22nd WTTC summit, sharing thoughts about the future of the sector and the challenges that should be addressed. \n\nThe Golden Globe winner spoke to Euronews about growing up in a family of conservation advocates and how he became steadily more involved in sustainability as he travelled the world for acting roles. \n\n\"The privilege of an artistic life and career is that it sort of ebbs and flows with my own inspiration,\" he says. \n\n\"But it leaves me with a lot of time to focus on other things that I've always been interested in. Our human industrial activity needs to shift to more complicated issues. It's not just preserving wildlife, it's a climate shift. And it's the sustainability of our industries.\" \n\n\u2018Yesterday\u2019s commitments to sustainability are not enough\u2019 \n\nHis comments came the day after the release of WTTC\u2019s report into the rise of sustainable travel, which found that the industry\u2019s gross domestic product grew on average by 4.3 per cent annually, and its environmental footprint only increased by 2.4 per cent. \n\nDespite recent improvements, Norton compared the fight against climate change to the previous generation\u2019s \u201cWorld War Two\u201d and encouraged the industry to do more. \n\n\u201cYesterday\u2019s commitments to sustainability are not enough,\u201d the actor says. \n\n\u201cWith each passing year, we understand more and more what the nature of the crisis around carbon is, around water shortage, around biodiversity \n\n\u201cThe short message is we've got to go much further, much faster.\u201d \n\nSentiments shared by Radisson Hotel Group CEO, Federico Gonz\u00e1lez, who called for hotels to be held accountable for their environmental impact. \n\n\u201cOne of the basic elements we need to put in every hotel in the world is to be able to measure water consumption and carbon footprint,\u201d says Gonz\u00e1lez. \n\n\u201cOnce you measure them, then you need to have a plan to reduce it, but if you ask hotels around the world about their carbon footprint today, they will not know\u201d. \n\nOne of his tips is to remove single-use plastics from hotels all around the world. \n\n\u201cThese are really concrete examples of behaviours that we are going to start implementing that will have a significant impact now,\u201d he says. \n\nEqually significant to the environmental issues are the social and ethical responsibilities of the industry,\u00a0Gonz\u00e1lez believes. \n\n\u201cI think hospitality jobs are demanding,\u201d he says. You have to work [long] hours and without a lot of flexibility. But I think we need to bring the\u00a0hope of development, of a career plan, more training and enable people to grow into their lives. \n\n\u201cI think we need to compensate [for] both short term and long term.\u201d \n\nThe future of tourism in Europe \n\nMuch of the summit was dominated by Saudi\u2019s impressive Vision 2030 efforts, a government-backed framework to diversify its economy from oil, encourage climate-friendly choices and develop public service sectors. \n\nSuch initiatives include Neom, the smart city that\u2019s being developed, the lRed Sea Development, a land and property megaproject and the cultural project in the city of AlUla. \n\nThis week, Diriyah Gate was in the spotlight after announcing the opening of 16 luxury hotel brands at the \u20ac48 billion site, bringing the total number of confirmed hotels to 32. \n\n\u201cDiriyah is the birthplace of the kingdom,\u201d says CEO of Diriyah Gate Development Authority, Jerry Inzerillo., \u201cSo, everybody is going to want to see where the Arabian Peninsula once stood. \n\n\u201cThe new Riyadh is going to be a 15 million metroplex. This is the jewel in the middle.\u201d \n\nAccording to MEP Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00f3n Bauz\u00e0, Europe can learn a lot from the Middle East\u2019s decisive tourism tactics. \n\n\u201cYou can see that here in Saudi\u00a0and the whole region, the Middle East countries that they know what they want to do,\u201d he says. \n\n\u201c[In Europe], we're stuck thinking, even though we have a very high knowledge. Here they know what they want to do and they're going further at a very high speed.\u201d \n\nFor Bauz\u00e0, the main difficulty in achieving cohesion in Europe\u2019s tourism strategy is finding consistency across Europe as a whole. \n\n\u201cWe have 27 different member states, each of us as different, but we need to think as a whole,\u201d he says. \n\n\u201cThat\u2019s a political need and you want to do that, but sadly from the European perceptive, they think that tourism is granted that\u00a0it\u2019s something we have everywhere at every time.\u201d \n\nNow, Bauz\u00e0 is calling for a more derisive approach if Europe\u2019s tourism industry is to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic financially. \n\n\u201cWe all know that we need tourism, but we need to put tourism in the right value, in the right perspective, in the right position, because if many countries are dependent on it for their GDP,\u201d he says. \n\n\u201cThings are getting better. Obviously, we are getting up from the pandemic, but we don't know what can happen in the next hour. \n\n\u201cWe have to have a very specific and detailed strategy in tourism, and if we don't do that, it is a threat that we cannot afford by ourselves\u201d Bauz\u00e0 says.","htmlText":"<p>Hollywood actor Edward Norton has filmed movies all over the world, but he\u2019s one high-flyer you won\u2019t catch on a private jet.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking at the World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit (WTTC) on Tuesday, Norton called for more action on climate change and spoke about the battle facing the next generation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaking films is storytelling, obviously\u2026I also think in some sense, we need to tell a better story about what's going on in the world and why we all need to get involved,\u201d the \u2018Fight Club\u2019 star says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe challenge of our era is climate change and sustainability and I think I think everyone should be involved in it. Actors should be involved in it, tourism operators should be involved in it, airline CEOs need to be involved in it. We need everybody involved in this conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Norton, a United Nations Global Ambassador, joined global tourism leaders from 185 countries in Riyadh for the 22nd WTTC summit, sharing thoughts about the future of the sector and the challenges that should be addressed.<\/p>\n<p>The Golden Globe winner spoke to Euronews about growing up in a family of conservation advocates and how he became steadily more involved in sustainability as he travelled the world for acting roles.<\/p>\n<p>\"The privilege of an artistic life and career is that it sort of ebbs and flows with my own inspiration,\" he says.<\/p>\n<p>\"But it leaves me with a lot of time to focus on other things that I've always been interested in. Our human industrial activity needs to shift to more complicated issues. It's not just preserving wildlife, it's a climate shift. And it's the sustainability of our industries.\"<\/p>\n<h2>\u2018Yesterday\u2019s commitments to sustainability are not enough\u2019<\/h2><p>His comments came the day after the release of WTTC\u2019s report into the rise of sustainable travel, which found that the industry\u2019s gross domestic product grew on average by 4.3 per cent annually, and its environmental footprint only increased by 2.4 per cent.<\/p>\n<p>Despite recent improvements, Norton compared the fight against climate change to the previous generation\u2019s \u201cWorld War Two\u201d and encouraged the industry to do more.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYesterday\u2019s commitments to sustainability are not enough,\u201d the actor says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith each passing year, we understand more and more what the nature of the crisis around carbon is, around water shortage, around biodiversity<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe short message is we've got to go much further, much faster.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sentiments shared by Radisson Hotel Group CEO, Federico Gonz\u00e1lez, who called for hotels to be held accountable for their environmental impact.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of the basic elements we need to put in every hotel in the world is to be able to measure water consumption and carbon footprint,\u201d says Gonz\u00e1lez.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnce you measure them, then you need to have a plan to reduce it, but if you ask hotels around the world about their carbon footprint today, they will not know\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>One of his tips is to remove single-use plastics from hotels all around the world.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese are really concrete examples of behaviours that we are going to start implementing that will have a significant impact now,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>Equally significant to the environmental issues are the social and ethical responsibilities of the industry,\u00a0Gonz\u00e1lez believes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think hospitality jobs are demanding,\u201d he says. You have to work [long] hours and without a lot of flexibility. But I think we need to bring the\u00a0hope of development, of a career plan, more training and enable people to grow into their lives.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think we need to compensate [for] both short term and long term.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>The future of tourism in Europe<\/h2><p>Much of the summit was dominated by Saudi\u2019s impressive Vision 2030 efforts, a government-backed framework to diversify its economy from oil, encourage climate-friendly choices and develop public service sectors.<\/p>\n<p>Such initiatives include Neom, the smart city that\u2019s being developed, the lRed Sea Development, a land and property megaproject and the cultural project in the city of AlUla.<\/p>\n<p>This week, Diriyah Gate was in the spotlight after announcing the opening of 16 luxury hotel brands at the \u20ac48 billion site, bringing the total number of confirmed hotels to 32.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDiriyah is the birthplace of the kingdom,\u201d says CEO of Diriyah Gate Development Authority, Jerry Inzerillo., \u201cSo, everybody is going to want to see where the Arabian Peninsula once stood.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe new Riyadh is going to be a 15 million metroplex. This is the jewel in the middle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to MEP Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00f3n Bauz\u00e0, Europe can learn a lot from the Middle East\u2019s decisive tourism tactics.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can see that here in Saudi\u00a0and the whole region, the Middle East countries that they know what they want to do,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[In Europe], we're stuck thinking, even though we have a very high knowledge. Here they know what they want to do and they're going further at a very high speed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For Bauz\u00e0, the main difficulty in achieving cohesion in Europe\u2019s tourism strategy is finding consistency across Europe as a whole.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have 27 different member states, each of us as different, but we need to think as a whole,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s a political need and you want to do that, but sadly from the European perceptive, they think that tourism is granted that\u00a0it\u2019s something we have everywhere at every time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Now, Bauz\u00e0 is calling for a more derisive approach if Europe\u2019s tourism industry is to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic financially.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe all know that we need tourism, but we need to put tourism in the right value, in the right perspective, in the right position, because if many countries are dependent on it for their GDP,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThings are getting better. Obviously, we are getting up from the pandemic, but we don't know what can happen in the next hour.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have to have a very specific and detailed strategy in tourism, and if we don't do that, it is a threat that we cannot afford by ourselves\u201d Bauz\u00e0 says.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1669804092,"publishedAt":1670005641,"updatedAt":1670013547,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/2022\/12\/02\/edward-norton-everyone-from-ceos-to-hollywood-actors-should-join-the-fight-against-climate","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/22\/23\/80\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_d288d165-5016-5213-a8ba-35f118514ae4-7222380.jpg","altText":"Edward Norton","caption":"Edward Norton","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"euronews","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":4480,"height":2520}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":383,"slug":"global-warming-and-climate-change","urlSafeValue":"global-warming-and-climate-change","title":"Global warming and climate change","titleRaw":"Global warming and climate change"},{"id":322,"slug":"cinema","urlSafeValue":"cinema","title":"Cinema","titleRaw":"Cinema"},{"id":4221,"slug":"tourism","urlSafeValue":"tourism","title":"Tourism","titleRaw":"Tourism"},{"id":243,"slug":"saudi-arabia","urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","titleRaw":"Saudi Arabia"}],"related":[{"id":1962816},{"id":1011242},{"id":2178070}],"technicalTags":[],"widgets":[],"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":{"quotation":null,"description":null,"author":null},"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":null,"contentType":null,"displayOverlay":0},"displayType":"default","video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/TN\/SU\/22\/11\/30\/en\/221130_TNSU_49327110_49327177_194400_172843_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":"194400","filesizeBytes":24381371,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/TN\/SU\/22\/11\/30\/en\/221130_TNSU_49327110_49327177_194400_172843_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":"194400","filesizeBytes":36092859,"expiresAt":0}],"externalPartners":{"dailymotionId":"x8g0ksh","youtubeId":"yaYLntlf0cg"},"liveStream":[],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":"Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"","program":{"id":"cult","urlSafeValue":"cult","title":"Cult","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/culture-series\/cult"},"vertical":"culture","verticals":[{"id":10,"slug":"culture","urlSafeValue":"culture","title":"Culture"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":10,"slug":"culture","urlSafeValue":"culture","title":"Culture"},"themes":[{"id":"culture-series","urlSafeValue":"culture-series","title":"Culture Series","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/culture-series"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":55,"urlSafeValue":"culture-series","title":"Culture-series"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":0,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":12,"urlSafeValue":"asia","title":"Asia"},"country":{"id":243,"urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","url":"\/news\/asia\/saudi-arabia"},"town":[],"versions":[],"path":"\/culture\/2022\/12\/02\/edward-norton-everyone-from-ceos-to-hollywood-actors-should-join-the-fight-against-climate","lastModified":1670013547},{"id":2137582,"cid":7222356,"versionId":6,"archive":0,"housenumber":"221130_TNSU_49327074","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gs_travel','gb_safe','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','gs_travel_locations','gs_science','gs_busfin','progressivemedia','gs_travel_locations_asia','gs_busfin_indus_hospitality','gs_science_environ','gs_science_environment','neg_audi_list1','neg_facebook_2021','environment','shadow9hu7_pos_ukrainecrisis','gt_positive','neg_facebook','neg_bucherer'","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"The future of travel: Carbon-zero cruises, rebuilding Ukraine and sightseeing in the metaverse","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Cruises, supporting Ukraine and VR all on the agenda at WTTC summit","titleListing2":"The future of travel: Carbon-zero cruises, rebuilding Ukraine and sightseeing in the metaverse","leadin":"The war in Ukraine has seen the industry pull together to support hospitality colleagues and refugees.","summary":"The war in Ukraine has seen the industry pull together to support hospitality colleagues and refugees.","keySentence":null,"url":"the-future-of-travel-carbon-zero-cruises-rebuilding-ukraine-and-sightseeing-in-the-metaver","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"As the world reopens after COVID, more of us are jetting off to far-flung destinations. And, as global floods, forest fires and droughts intensify as a result of climate change, sustainable travel is finally going mainstream. \n\nAccording to new data from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), eco-conscious efforts by the industry are paying of.. \n\nThe findings reveal how the travel sector was responsible for 8.1 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2019, down from previous estimates of 11 per cent. \n\nThe report shows that between 2010 and 2019, the industry\u2019s gross domestic product grew on average by 4.3 per cent annually, while its environmental footprint increased by 2.4 per cent. \n\nAnnouncing the findings on the second day of the WTTC Global Summit, its president and chief executive Julia Simpson said the \u201cground-breaking\u201d report will allow the industry to measure and track the sector's climate footprint. \n\n\u201cUntil now we did not have a sector-wide way to accurately measure our climate footprint. This data will give governments the detailed information they need to make progress against the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals,\u201d she says. \n\n\u201c8.1% is the stake in the ground. The key is to become more efficient and decoupling the rate at which we grow from the amount of energy we consume. From today, every decision, every change, will lead to a better and brighter future for all.\u201d \n\nWhat is the cruise industry doing to become more sustainable? \n\nFor the president and CEO of the Cruise Lines International Association, Kelly Craighead, the cruise industry is also steaming ahead in the journey towards sustainable travel. \n\nSpeaking to Euronews Travel in Riyadh, Craighead says, \u201cThe path towards net carbon zero cruising is a path that was started years ago. \n\n\u201cSo, some of the things that the cruise industry is doing to achieve these ambitious targets is rebuilding or retrofitting older ships to be able to take some of these new sustainable fuels, but also the new builds that are coming out. \n\n\u201cNearly 60 per cent of all the new ships that will be coming out over the next five years are all capable of using sustainable fuels and sustainable. LNG, biofuels, synthetic fuels.\u201d \n\nThe global recovery and efforts in Ukraine \n\nAs well as celebrating the decline in greenhouse gas emissions, industry leaders spoke about the growth of tourism around the world, predicting that demand would continue to outstrip supply, despite recession fears. \n\n\u201cTravel and tourism used to generate about $9.6 trillion (\u20ac9.2 trillion) globally,\u201d says Simpson, adding that at the end of this year it will be back to about $8.5 trillion. \u201cYou might say there's still a big trillion-dollar deficit, but a lot of that is China, which is yet to reopen.\u201d \n\nChairman and CEO of French multinational hospitality firm Accor S\u00e9bastien Bazin is also enjoying the travel resurgence. \n\n\u201cBusiness is very strong,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s been a faster recovery than I expected and it\u2019s looking fairly good actually for the first semester of 2023. \n\n\u201cWith the notable exception of China and Southeast Asia, Europe is very strong, the Middle East is on fire. South America is better than I ever projected.\u201d \n\nThe war in Ukraine has seen the industry pull together to support hospitality colleagues and refugees in whatever way it can. \n\n\u201cOur members in travel and tourism and hospitality have been doing a great job,\u201d says Simpson. \n\n\u201cThey've been keeping hotels open in Kyiv, they've been opening the doors of their hotels to refugees in bordering countries such as Poland. \n\n\u201cOur travel and tourism sector is trying to do what it can and we will be there also to help rebuild Ukraine.\u201d \n\nBazin is also passionate about helping his Ukrainian colleagues.. \n\n\u201cAccor is the largest hotel operator in Ukraine,\u201d he says. \u201cWe have 4,000 people there and we\u2019ve been providing them with a job in the other Accor hotels. So it's very close to me and I hope it's going to end soon.\u201d \n\nThe future of virtual travel \n\nFor its 22nd edition, Saudi invited the world to be virtually present at the WTTC event via the metaverse, an example of its pioneering three-year Digital Tourism Strategy. \n\nAnd it\u2019s not the first time the nation has embraced virtual reality. \n\nEarlier this month, the Saudi city of AlUla became the first-ever Unesco World Heritage Site to be recreated in the virtual world, with Hegra\u2019s Tomb of Lihyan open for visitors in Decentraland, an Ethereum-powered virtual platform, marking a new age of futuristic travel. \n\n\u201cAlUla entered the metaverse with a very early example of what can be achieved in this virtual world, and we will be looking to continue to explore and leverage this space in the future,\u201d said AlUla chief marketing officer Philip Jones. \n\n\u201cTechnology is a fantastic way to pique the interest of travellers to get them excited and engaged with the destination and push them further down the path to conversion.\u201d \n\nThe development is just the latest in a string of openings and attractions to pique the interest of travellers, catapulting the ancient landscape into the 21st century. \n\nToday, the sand-swept dunes and historic dwellings have come to life once again as part of Saudi Arabia\u2019s tourism strategy Vision 2030, with developments including sustainable five-star hotels, world-class events and an international airport offering direct flights from Paris, Dubai, Cairo and Jordan. \n\n\u201cWe are on track to achieve targets of more than 240,000 visitors a year and working towards our target of two million a year by 2035 in line with the growth of the destination,\u201d says Jones. \n\n\u201cThis will deliver around 38,000 jobs and SR120 billion (\u20ac309 billion) in economic impact to AlUla.\u201d","htmlText":"<p>As the world reopens after COVID, more of us are jetting off to far-flung destinations. And, as global floods, forest fires and droughts intensify as a result of climate change, sustainable travel is finally going mainstream.<\/p>\n<p>According to new data from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), eco-conscious efforts by the industry are paying of..<\/p>\n<p>The findings reveal how the travel sector was responsible for 8.1 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2019, down from previous estimates of 11 per cent.<\/p>\n<p>The report shows that between 2010 and 2019, the industry\u2019s gross domestic product grew on average by 4.3 per cent annually, while its environmental footprint increased by 2.4 per cent.<\/p>\n<p>Announcing the findings on the second day of the WTTC Global Summit, its president and chief executive Julia Simpson said the \u201cground-breaking\u201d report will allow the industry to measure and track the sector's climate footprint.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUntil now we did not have a sector-wide way to accurately measure our climate footprint. This data will give governments the detailed information they need to make progress against the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c8.1% is the stake in the ground. The key is to become more efficient and decoupling the rate at which we grow from the amount of energy we consume. From today, every decision, every change, will lead to a better and brighter future for all.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>What is the cruise industry doing to become more sustainable?<\/h2><p>For the president and CEO of the Cruise Lines International Association, Kelly Craighead, the cruise industry is also steaming ahead in the journey towards sustainable travel.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to Euronews Travel in Riyadh, Craighead says, \u201cThe path towards net carbon zero cruising is a path that was started years ago.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, some of the things that the cruise industry is doing to achieve these ambitious targets is rebuilding or retrofitting older ships to be able to take some of these new sustainable fuels, but also the new builds that are coming out.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNearly 60 per cent of all the new ships that will be coming out over the next five years are all capable of using sustainable fuels and sustainable. LNG, biofuels, synthetic fuels.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>The global recovery and efforts in Ukraine<\/h2><p>As well as celebrating the decline in greenhouse gas emissions, industry leaders spoke about the growth of tourism around the world, predicting that demand would continue to outstrip supply, despite recession fears.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTravel and tourism used to generate about $9.6 trillion (\u20ac9.2 trillion) globally,\u201d says Simpson, adding that at the end of this year it will be back to about $8.5 trillion. \u201cYou might say there's still a big trillion-dollar deficit, but a lot of that is China, which is yet to reopen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chairman and CEO of French multinational hospitality firm Accor S\u00e9bastien Bazin is also enjoying the travel resurgence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBusiness is very strong,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s been a faster recovery than I expected and it\u2019s looking fairly good actually for the first semester of 2023.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith the notable exception of China and Southeast Asia, Europe is very strong, the Middle East is on fire. South America is better than I ever projected.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The war in Ukraine has seen the industry pull together to support hospitality colleagues and refugees in whatever way it can.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur members in travel and tourism and hospitality have been doing a great job,\u201d says Simpson.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey've been keeping hotels open in Kyiv, they've been opening the doors of their hotels to refugees in bordering countries such as Poland.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur travel and tourism sector is trying to do what it can and we will be there also to help rebuild Ukraine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bazin is also passionate about helping his Ukrainian colleagues..<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAccor is the largest hotel operator in Ukraine,\u201d he says. \u201cWe have 4,000 people there and we\u2019ve been providing them with a job in the other Accor hotels. So it's very close to me and I hope it's going to end soon.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>The future of virtual travel<\/h2><p>For its 22nd edition, Saudi invited the world to be virtually present at the WTTC event via the metaverse, an example of its pioneering three-year Digital Tourism Strategy.<\/p>\n<p>And it\u2019s not the first time the nation has embraced virtual reality.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this month, the Saudi city of AlUla became the first-ever Unesco World Heritage Site to be recreated in the virtual world, with Hegra\u2019s Tomb of Lihyan open for visitors in Decentraland, an Ethereum-powered virtual platform, marking a new age of futuristic travel.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlUla entered the metaverse with a very early example of what can be achieved in this virtual world, and we will be looking to continue to explore and leverage this space in the future,\u201d said AlUla chief marketing officer Philip Jones.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTechnology is a fantastic way to pique the interest of travellers to get them excited and engaged with the destination and push them further down the path to conversion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The development is just the latest in a string of openings and attractions to pique the interest of travellers, catapulting the ancient landscape into the 21st century.<\/p>\n<p>Today, the sand-swept dunes and historic dwellings have come to life once again as part of Saudi Arabia\u2019s tourism strategy Vision 2030, with developments including sustainable five-star hotels, world-class events and an international airport offering direct flights from Paris, Dubai, Cairo and Jordan.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are on track to achieve targets of more than 240,000 visitors a year and working towards our target of two million a year by 2035 in line with the growth of the destination,\u201d says Jones.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis will deliver around 38,000 jobs and SR120 billion (\u20ac309 billion) in economic impact to AlUla.\u201d<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1669804005,"publishedAt":1669820497,"updatedAt":1669978870,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/travel\/2022\/11\/30\/the-future-of-travel-carbon-zero-cruises-rebuilding-ukraine-and-sightseeing-in-the-metaver","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/22\/23\/42\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_28968699-a44f-597e-9ed5-9434f898780c-7222342.jpg","altText":"\u00a9","caption":"\u00a9","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"euronews","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":4221,"slug":"tourism","urlSafeValue":"tourism","title":"Tourism","titleRaw":"Tourism"},{"id":12639,"slug":"travel","urlSafeValue":"travel","title":"Travel","titleRaw":"Travel"},{"id":243,"slug":"saudi-arabia","urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi 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Arabia","url":"\/news\/asia\/saudi-arabia"},"town":[],"versions":[],"path":"\/travel\/2022\/11\/30\/the-future-of-travel-carbon-zero-cruises-rebuilding-ukraine-and-sightseeing-in-the-metaver","lastModified":1669978870},{"id":2137576,"cid":7222342,"versionId":7,"archive":0,"housenumber":"221130_TNSU_49326994","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gs_travel','gb_safe','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','gs_busfin','gs_busfin_indus_hospitality','gs_politics','gs_travel_locations','gs_politics_misc','gs_politics_issues_policy','gs_travel_type_hotelmotel','shadow9hu7_pos_ukrainecrisis','sm_politics','neg_facebook_2021','neg_mobkoi_creed_eng','neg_mobkoi_new','gt_mixed','custom_investment','manufacturing'","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Travel leaders descend on Saudi as it plans to be at the top of tourists' bucket lists","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"How Saudi plans to become a top tourist destination","titleListing2":"Travel leaders descend on Saudi as it plans to be at the top of tourists' bucket lists","leadin":"The World Travel and Tourism Global Summit is currently taking place in Riyadh","summary":"The World Travel and Tourism Global Summit is currently taking place in Riyadh","keySentence":null,"url":"travel-leaders-descend-on-saudi-arabia-as-it-plans-to-be-at-the-top-of-tourists-bucket-lis","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"With its stunning heritage sites, \u200e\u20ac\u200e306 billion futuristic mega-city,\u00a0and Arabian hospitality, Saudi has emerged as one of the world\u2019s most pioneering tourism destinations - and this week, the nation is being put on the world stage. \n\nGlobal tourism leaders descended on Riyadh on Monday for the World Travel and Tourism Global Summit, shining a light on the country\u2019s planned transformation into a global tourist destination. \n\nJulia Simpson, World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) President and CEO, announced at the event that WTTC members are set to invest more than $10.5 billion (\u20ac10.1 billion) in Saudi over the next five years. \n\nIt comes as a boost to\u00a0the country\u2019s Vision 2030 tourism goals. \n\nThe four-day summit,\u00a0the largest in its 22-year history, also launched a\u00a0new global consumer survey showing that the appetite for international travel is now at its highest since the start of the COVID pandemic. \n\nThe study, conducted by YouGov for WTTC, found that 63 per cent of participants are planning a leisure trip in the next six months, with a growing number thinking positively about\u00a0Saudi as a tourism destination. \n\n\u201cThe Middle East\u2019s [post-pandemic] recovery is very impressive,\u201d says Maria Zarraluqui, global development vice president of hotel group Meli\u00e1 Hotels International. \n\n\u201cIf you look at the data from UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organisation) in the G20 countries, Saudi is the fastest growing country in terms of international arrivals.\u201d\u00a0 \n\nShe said \u201cwe\u2019ve seen 121 per cent growth compared to 2019, which is the number one country of the G20 in terms of growth \n\n\u201cOf course, we have the UAE, Qatar now with the World Cup and the rest of the countries, but Saudi is leading the way in a fascinating aspect\u201d Zarraluqui says. \n\nThe year is set to close with tourism numbers nearing 2019 levels, with a predicted 126 million jobs to be created in the next 10\u00a0 years according to the WTTC. \n\n\u201cWhat is fascinating is that before COVID, one in four new jobs were in travel and tourism. It seems that in the future, it is going to be one out of three.\u201d \n\nWhat\u2019s happening in the travel and tourism industry? \n\nThe summit is hosting 185 countries with industry leaders sharing their thoughts about the future of the sector and the challenges that should be addressed to ensure a safer, more resilient and sustainable travel and tourism industry. \n\nFor\u00a0Mar\u00eda Zarraluqui, the tourism industry is resilient in the face of economic uncertainty and conflict. \n\n\u201cIt's true that we hear messages about recession and what is going on in Europe, but the reality is that we are not currently facing a drop in the occupancy of rooms,\u201d she says. \n\n\u201cWe are a leisure company, and in leisure, this has been shown to be more resilient to the market and to the bumpiness of the market.\u201d \n\nBy focusing on cost analysis and digitisation, the Meli\u00e1 hotel group hopes to move with the economy. \n\n\u201cWe see that we are facing an increment in interest rates, hyperinflation in some locations and some problems with manpower,\u201d she says. \n\nWe need to be as flexible as possible with our organisation in order to be comfortable with all these changes in the market.\u201d \n\nMeanwhile, the war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia has led to the hotel group relying on greener sources of energy. \n\n\u201cI think [the war] is impacting everyone, not just because of the social part, which is horrible, but in particular because it has a big influence on the industry and the energy supply,\u201d she says. \n\n\u201cMeli\u00e1 has been investing heavily in the sustainability market, which makes us more resilient. \n\n\u201cWe have been investing in other energy supplies such as sun supply, water recycling and a lot of industrialisation of our processes so that is helping us.\u201d \n\nThe event, which runs until\u00a0December 1, will see speakers including the former UK prime minister Teresa May, the former United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-Moon and actor and filmmaker Edward Norton, take to the stage to share their views on the future of tourism. \n\nOpening the summit, His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Saudi\u2019s Minister of Tourism\u00a0said: \n\n\u201cWith more government ministers and world leading CEOs than ever before, it will be a true display of the future we want to create. \n\n\u201cA future founded in public and private sector partnership, with sustainability and innovation at its core.\u201d","htmlText":"<p>With its stunning heritage sites, \u200e\u20ac\u200e306 billion futuristic mega-city,\u00a0and Arabian hospitality, Saudi has emerged as one of the world\u2019s most pioneering tourism destinations - and this week, the nation is being put on the world stage.<\/p>\n<p>Global tourism leaders descended on Riyadh on Monday for the World Travel and Tourism Global Summit, shining a light on the country\u2019s planned transformation into a global tourist destination.<\/p>\n<p>Julia Simpson, World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) President and CEO, announced at the event that WTTC members are set to invest more than $10.5 billion (\u20ac10.1 billion) in Saudi over the next five years.<\/p>\n<p>It comes as a boost to\u00a0the country\u2019s Vision 2030 tourism goals.<\/p>\n<p>The four-day summit,\u00a0the largest in its 22-year history, also launched a\u00a0new global consumer survey showing that the appetite for international travel is now at its highest since the start of the COVID pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>The study, conducted by YouGov for WTTC, found that 63 per cent of participants are planning a leisure trip in the next six months, with a growing number thinking positively about\u00a0Saudi as a tourism destination.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Middle East\u2019s [post-pandemic] recovery is very impressive,\u201d says Maria Zarraluqui, global development vice president of hotel group Meli\u00e1 Hotels International.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you look at the data from UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organisation) in the G20 countries, Saudi is the fastest growing country in terms of international arrivals.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>She said \u201cwe\u2019ve seen 121 per cent growth compared to 2019, which is the number one country of the G20 in terms of growth<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course, we have the UAE, Qatar now with the World Cup and the rest of the countries, but Saudi is leading the way in a fascinating aspect\u201d Zarraluqui says.<\/p>\n<p>The year is set to close with tourism numbers nearing 2019 levels, with a predicted 126 million jobs to be created in the next 10\u00a0 years according to the WTTC.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat is fascinating is that before COVID, one in four new jobs were in travel and tourism. It seems that in the future, it is going to be one out of three.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>What\u2019s happening in the travel and tourism industry?<\/h2><p>The summit is hosting 185 countries with industry leaders sharing their thoughts about the future of the sector and the challenges that should be addressed to ensure a safer, more resilient and sustainable travel and tourism industry.<\/p>\n<p>For\u00a0Mar\u00eda Zarraluqui, the tourism industry is resilient in the face of economic uncertainty and conflict.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt's true that we hear messages about recession and what is going on in Europe, but the reality is that we are not currently facing a drop in the occupancy of rooms,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are a leisure company, and in leisure, this has been shown to be more resilient to the market and to the bumpiness of the market.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>By focusing on cost analysis and digitisation, the Meli\u00e1 hotel group hopes to move with the economy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe see that we are facing an increment in interest rates, hyperinflation in some locations and some problems with manpower,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>We need to be as flexible as possible with our organisation in order to be comfortable with all these changes in the market.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia has led to the hotel group relying on greener sources of energy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think [the war] is impacting everyone, not just because of the social part, which is horrible, but in particular because it has a big influence on the industry and the energy supply,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMeli\u00e1 has been investing heavily in the sustainability market, which makes us more resilient.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have been investing in other energy supplies such as sun supply, water recycling and a lot of industrialisation of our processes so that is helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The event, which runs until\u00a0December 1, will see speakers including the former UK prime minister Teresa May, the former United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-Moon and actor and filmmaker Edward Norton, take to the stage to share their views on the future of tourism.<\/p>\n<p>Opening the summit, His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Saudi\u2019s Minister of Tourism\u00a0said:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith more government ministers and world leading CEOs than ever before, it will be a true display of the future we want to create.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA future founded in public and private sector partnership, with sustainability and innovation at its core.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-youtube-embed\nwidget--size-fullwidth\nwidget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"auto widget__ratio widget__ratio--16x9\">\n <iframe type=\"text\/html\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.youtube.com//embed//VnYAB6qetoo/" width=\"100%\" loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen seamless>\n <\/iframe>\n <\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1669803917,"publishedAt":1669816240,"updatedAt":1669826040,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/travel\/2022\/11\/30\/travel-leaders-descend-on-saudi-arabia-as-it-plans-to-be-at-the-top-of-tourists-bucket-lis","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/22\/23\/42\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_ceab6849-b914-5f55-8683-5c5356407fd6-7222342.jpg","altText":"\u00a9","caption":"\u00a9","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"euronews","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/22\/23\/42\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_28968699-a44f-597e-9ed5-9434f898780c-7222342.jpg","altText":"\u00a9","caption":"\u00a9","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"euronews","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":12639,"slug":"travel","urlSafeValue":"travel","title":"Travel","titleRaw":"Travel"},{"id":4221,"slug":"tourism","urlSafeValue":"tourism","title":"Tourism","titleRaw":"Tourism"},{"id":13868,"slug":"sustainable-tourism","urlSafeValue":"sustainable-tourism","title":"Sustainable 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COVID-19","leadin":"Prior to the pandemic, the worldwide travel and tourism industry accounted for just over 10% of global GDP. After a difficult 2020 and 2021, with, some false starts in the industry due to new variants of COVID-19, tourism is almost at similar levels now.","summary":"Prior to the pandemic, the worldwide travel and tourism industry accounted for just over 10% of global GDP. After a difficult 2020 and 2021, with, some false starts in the industry due to new variants of COVID-19, tourism is almost at similar levels now.","keySentence":null,"url":"global-tourism-rebounds-strongly-after-covid-19","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Prior to the pandemic, the worldwide travel and tourism industry accounted for just over 10% of global GDP. After a difficult 2020 and 2021, with, some false starts in the industry due to new variants of COVID-19, tourism is almost at a similar level now. \n\nSpeaking to Euronews at The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) in Riyadh, Julia Simpson, President and CEO of the body, painted an upbeat picture. \n\n\"Travel and tourism globally used to generate about $9.6 trillion (\u20ac9.3 trillion) globally, and at this end of this year we\u2019ll be back to about $8.4 - $8.5 trillion (\u20ac8.1-\u20ac8.2 trillion). And you might say, well, there's still a big trillion-dollar deficit there, but actually a lot of that is China. And China has yet to reopen.\u201d \n\nAs previously, it is cities that are driving this. According to a report released by the WTTC, 82 international city destinations that were analysed accounted for almost half of all international visits, both as standalone destinations and as gateways to other tourism hotspots within countries. \n\nEven amidst 3 difficult years, some cities have now surpassed their previous tourist revenue. In Europe, for example, Warsaw is expected to witness a significant 14% increase in Travel & Tourism\u2019s contribution to the city\u2019s GDP, compared with 2019 levels. \n\nMeanwhile, in the US, Orlando is projected to see a 10% over that same period. \n\nThis robust strength can be seen through another medium \u2013 hotel bookings. The CEO of hospitality firm Accor, Sebastien Bazin, noted that it is not just Europe leading the way in the rebound in the sector. \n\n\u201cSo, business is very strong. Faster recovery than I expected and looking fairly good actually for the first semester of 2023. So, with the notable exception of China and Southeast Asia, Europe is very strong. Middle East is on fire. South America is better than ever projected myself.\u201d \n\nAs the pandemic's effects further reduce and people\u2019s concerns about mixing in public and in small places reduce, tourism may continue to benefit.","htmlText":"<p>Prior to the pandemic, the worldwide travel and tourism industry accounted for just over 10% of global GDP. After a difficult 2020 and 2021, with, some false starts in the industry due to new variants of COVID-19, tourism is almost at a similar level now.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to Euronews at The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) in Riyadh, Julia Simpson, President and CEO of the body, painted an upbeat picture.<\/p>\n<p>\"Travel and tourism globally used to generate about $9.6 trillion (\u20ac9.3 trillion) globally, and at this end of this year we\u2019ll be back to about $8.4 - $8.5 trillion (\u20ac8.1-\u20ac8.2 trillion). And you might say, well, there's still a big trillion-dollar deficit there, but actually a lot of that is China. And China has yet to reopen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As previously, it is cities that are driving this. According to a report released by the WTTC, 82 international city destinations that were analysed accounted for almost half of all international visits, both as standalone destinations and as gateways to other tourism hotspots within countries.<\/p>\n<p>Even amidst 3 difficult years, some cities have now surpassed their previous tourist revenue. In Europe, for example, Warsaw is expected to witness a significant 14% increase in Travel & Tourism\u2019s contribution to the city\u2019s GDP, compared with 2019 levels.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, in the US, Orlando is projected to see a 10% over that same period.<\/p>\n<p>This robust strength can be seen through another medium \u2013 hotel bookings. The CEO of hospitality firm Accor, Sebastien Bazin, noted that it is not just Europe leading the way in the rebound in the sector.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, business is very strong. Faster recovery than I expected and looking fairly good actually for the first semester of 2023. So, with the notable exception of China and Southeast Asia, Europe is very strong. Middle East is on fire. South America is better than ever projected myself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As the pandemic's effects further reduce and people\u2019s concerns about mixing in public and in small places reduce, tourism may continue to benefit.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1669798857,"publishedAt":1669812514,"updatedAt":1669842532,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/travel\/2022\/11\/30\/global-tourism-rebounds-strongly-after-covid-19","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/05\/66\/33\/10\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_39f3f640-d561-59e0-b9f3-a30eb717d930-5663310.jpg","altText":"Warsaw tourism industry has now surpassed 2019 levels. Here you can see the communist-era Palace of Culture and Science in the foreground","caption":"Warsaw tourism industry has now surpassed 2019 levels. Here you can see the communist-era Palace of Culture and Science in the foreground","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Alik Keplicz\/Copyright 2018 The AP. All rights reserved.","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":4928,"height":3280}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":4221,"slug":"tourism","urlSafeValue":"tourism","title":"Tourism","titleRaw":"Tourism"},{"id":22728,"slug":"covid-19","urlSafeValue":"covid-19","title":"COVID-19","titleRaw":"COVID-19"},{"id":243,"slug":"saudi-arabia","urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","titleRaw":"Saudi Arabia"}],"related":[{"id":2113990}],"technicalTags":[],"widgets":[],"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":{"quotation":null,"description":null,"author":null},"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":null,"contentType":null,"displayOverlay":0},"displayType":"default","video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/22\/11\/30\/en\/221130_NWSU_49325166_49325193_147000_114435_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":"147000","filesizeBytes":18940259,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/22\/11\/30\/en\/221130_NWSU_49325166_49325193_147000_114435_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":"147000","filesizeBytes":29322595,"expiresAt":0}],"externalPartners":{"dailymotionId":"x8fy248","youtubeId":"VU02WjOeV70"},"liveStream":[],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"","program":{"id":"travel-news","urlSafeValue":"travel-news","title":"Travel News","online":0,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/travel\/travel-news\/travel-news"},"vertical":"travel","verticals":[{"id":7,"slug":"travel","urlSafeValue":"travel","title":"Travel"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":7,"slug":"travel","urlSafeValue":"travel","title":"Travel"},"themes":[{"id":"travel-news","urlSafeValue":"travel-news","title":"Travel News","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/travel\/travel-news"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":21,"urlSafeValue":"travel-news","title":"Travel-news"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":0,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":12,"urlSafeValue":"asia","title":"Asia"},"country":{"id":243,"urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","url":"\/news\/asia\/saudi-arabia"},"town":{"id":4030,"urlSafeValue":"riyadh","title":"Riyadh"},"versions":[],"path":"\/travel\/2022\/11\/30\/global-tourism-rebounds-strongly-after-covid-19","lastModified":1669842532},{"id":2124564,"cid":7193344,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"221117_SLSU_49095871","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":1,"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gs_busfin','gb_safe','gs_news_and_weather','gs_tech_computing','gs_busfin_economy_currencies','gs_education','gs_busfin_indus','neg_saudiramco_arabic','gs_news','gs_busfin_economy'","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Global Cybersecurity Forum: rethinking the global cyber order","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Global Cybersecurity Forum: rethinking the global cyber order","titleListing2":"Seeking to address topics from geocyber, cybereconomics, cyberconflicts, online child protection and the future of cyber work.","leadin":"Transcending borders and impacting every aspect of people's lives, the cyber landscape is more complex than ever before. The Forum sought to improve peace of mind for parents, business owners, and governments while serving justice to cyber criminals.","summary":"Transcending borders and impacting every aspect of people's lives, the cyber landscape is more complex than ever before. The Forum sought to improve peace of mind for parents, business owners, and governments while serving justice to cyber criminals.","keySentence":null,"url":"global-cybersecurity-forum-rethinking-the-global-cyber-order","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Transcending borders and impacting every aspect of people's lives, the cyber landscape is more complex than ever before. \n\nSeeking to address topics from geocyber, cybereconomics, cyberconflicts, online child protection and the future of cyber work, the Global Cybersecurity Forum returned for its second edition in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh. \n\nGlobal was the forum's ambition, and global was the feeling on the ground, with thought-leaders, innovators, CEOs, academics and public and private sector delegates from more than 100 countries all convening here. \n\nTheir ambition is to rethink the global cyber order and their next steps, include more partnerships and more collaboration.\u00a0 \n\nCalling for collective action was the International Criminal Police Organisation's Cybercrime head, who made a case for greater cross-border cooperation and data sharing - given recent successes.\u00a0 \n\n\"We have tools and platforms which are secure and we can bring private partners and law enforcement onto, and carry out operations,\" explains\u00a0Craig Jones, the Cybercrime Director of Interpol. \n\nThe sophistication of cybercrime advancing in tandem with technology, poses the question, \u2018Will the good guys ever triumph in the cybercrime race, or forever be playing catch up?\u2019 \n\n\"Have we ever actually solved crime? No, we haven't.\" Adds Craig Jones. \"It's endemic within our communities. I think the advantage of cybercrime, is that it's online, it's technology-based. We are able to get ahead. By working effectively with the companies that provide the infrastructure and the software, they become the first responders.\"\u00a0 \n\nThe timely topic of safeguarding cybersecurity resilience across the energy supply chain was another key theme of the Global Cybersecurity Forum. A macro perspective offered up by the World Economic Forum, pointed to the current geopolitical environment, drawing people's attention to cybersecurity in general, whilst raising questions at governmental levels about how to literally \u2018keep the lights on\u2019.\u00a0 \n\nThe most important trend we've seen so far is actually this increased awareness around the threats to our critical infrastructure in energy and health care and financial services. Says Jeremy Jurgens, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum. \"I think it's really important that we can actually bring people together, both established players, but as well as new innovators that can actually bring new solutions - using AI technologies and other techniques to actually help us address these threats.\" \n\nOne way to address present and future threats, said a leading cyberpsychologist, is to develop a pre-emptive, proactive, and protective cyber tech sector, not least for children who remain particularly vulnerable online.\u00a0 \n\n\"Cybersecurity is fantastic.\" Declares Professor Mary Aiken, Cyberpsychology Chair, at Capitol Technology University. \"It protects your data, your systems, and your networks, but it does not protect what it is to be human online. The great news is, there is evidence of a new emerging sector, the online safety technology sector or safety tech. We have health tech, we have fintech, and now we have safety tech. And I would love to see the Gulf lead in cyberspace by adopting this new sector, investing in and growing the sector.\" \n\nThe problems of today may be well documented, but some argue that tomorrow's technology, especially the next generation of computers, will come with a different set of challenges. \n\nThe more education and knowledge sharing about changing technology and evolving threats in cybersecurity, the better, said the futurist. Not least to dispel myths about the relatively new sector.\u00a0 \n\n\"Well, when people first hear about the concept of cybersecurity, they immediately conjure up James Bond.\" Says\u00a0Professor Michio Kaku, a\u00a0Theoretical Physicist, at the City University of New York.\u00a0\"They think of spy versus spy. They think of all the shenanigans that nations use to hide truths from each other. This conference is about promoting understanding between different people. It's about counteracting the mistruths and the fake news that's out there. It's about making sure that people can cooperate and promote peace and justice. That's what it's all about.\" \n\nAnd that key message was top of mind for delegates as this year's symposium wrapped up. When they assemble next, they hope to have gone some way to improving peace of mind for parents, business owners, and governments while serving justice to cyber criminals looking to disrupt and deceive, in today's fast-paced tech world.","htmlText":"<p><strong>Transcending borders and impacting every aspect of people's lives, the cyber landscape is more complex than ever before.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Seeking to address topics from geocyber, cybereconomics, cyberconflicts, online child protection and the future of cyber work, the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////globalcybersecurityforum.com///">Global Cybersecurity Forum<\/a> returned for its second edition in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh.<\/p>\n<p>Global was the forum's ambition, and global was the feeling on the ground, with thought-leaders, innovators, CEOs, academics and public and private sector delegates from more than 100 countries all convening here.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">We've been given a \u2018small task\u2019, which is to rethink the global cyber order. <br><br>And I'm delighted to say I think we've made progress.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <div class=\"widget__authorText\">\n Professor Mary Aiken\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"widget__author_descriptionText\">\n Cyberpsychology Chair, Capitol Technology University\n <\/div>\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Their ambition is to rethink the global cyber order and their next steps, include more partnerships and more collaboration.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Calling for collective action was the International Criminal Police Organisation's Cybercrime head, who made a case for greater cross-border cooperation and data sharing - given recent successes.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\"We have tools and platforms which are secure and we can bring private partners and law enforcement onto, and carry out operations,\" explains\u00a0Craig Jones, the Cybercrime Director of Interpol.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//19//33//44//808x454_cmsv2_5adf753d-7aaa-5d42-b25e-58726884505c-7193344.jpg/" alt=\"Euronews\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/33\/44\/384x216_cmsv2_5adf753d-7aaa-5d42-b25e-58726884505c-7193344.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/33\/44\/640x360_cmsv2_5adf753d-7aaa-5d42-b25e-58726884505c-7193344.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/33\/44\/750x422_cmsv2_5adf753d-7aaa-5d42-b25e-58726884505c-7193344.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/33\/44\/828x466_cmsv2_5adf753d-7aaa-5d42-b25e-58726884505c-7193344.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/33\/44\/1080x608_cmsv2_5adf753d-7aaa-5d42-b25e-58726884505c-7193344.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/33\/44\/1200x675_cmsv2_5adf753d-7aaa-5d42-b25e-58726884505c-7193344.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/33\/44\/1920x1080_cmsv2_5adf753d-7aaa-5d42-b25e-58726884505c-7193344.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Craig Jones, Cybercrime Director, Interpol<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Euronews<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The sophistication of cybercrime advancing in tandem with technology, poses the question, \u2018Will the good guys ever triumph in the cybercrime race, or forever be playing catch up?\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\"Have we ever actually solved crime? No, we haven't.\" Adds Craig Jones. \"It's endemic within our communities. I think the advantage of cybercrime, is that it's online, it's technology-based. We are able to get ahead. By working effectively with the companies that provide the infrastructure and the software, they become the first responders.\"\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">I think the advantage of cybercrime, is that it's online, it's technology-based. <br><br>We are able to get ahead.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <div class=\"widget__authorText\">\n Craig Jones\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"widget__author_descriptionText\">\n Cybercrime Director, Interpol\n <\/div>\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The timely topic of safeguarding cybersecurity resilience across the energy supply chain was another key theme of the Global Cybersecurity Forum. A macro perspective offered up by the World Economic Forum, pointed to the current geopolitical environment, drawing people's attention to cybersecurity in general, whilst raising questions at governmental levels about how to literally \u2018keep the lights on\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1591170696629350400\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The most important trend we've seen so far is actually this increased awareness around the threats to our critical infrastructure in energy and health care and financial services. Says Jeremy Jurgens, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum. \"I think it's really important that we can actually bring people together, both established players, but as well as new innovators that can actually bring new solutions - using AI technologies and other techniques to actually help us address these threats.\"<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//19//33//44//808x454_cmsv2_ff36e85f-cbf1-5aff-a9f3-aaf9e34ef3a1-7193344.jpg/" alt=\"Euronews\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/33\/44\/384x216_cmsv2_ff36e85f-cbf1-5aff-a9f3-aaf9e34ef3a1-7193344.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/33\/44\/640x360_cmsv2_ff36e85f-cbf1-5aff-a9f3-aaf9e34ef3a1-7193344.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/33\/44\/750x422_cmsv2_ff36e85f-cbf1-5aff-a9f3-aaf9e34ef3a1-7193344.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/33\/44\/828x466_cmsv2_ff36e85f-cbf1-5aff-a9f3-aaf9e34ef3a1-7193344.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/33\/44\/1080x608_cmsv2_ff36e85f-cbf1-5aff-a9f3-aaf9e34ef3a1-7193344.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/33\/44\/1200x675_cmsv2_ff36e85f-cbf1-5aff-a9f3-aaf9e34ef3a1-7193344.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/33\/44\/1920x1080_cmsv2_ff36e85f-cbf1-5aff-a9f3-aaf9e34ef3a1-7193344.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Professor Mary Aiken, Cyberpsychology Chair, Capitol Technology University<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Euronews<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>One way to address present and future threats, said a leading cyberpsychologist, is to develop a pre-emptive, proactive, and protective cyber tech sector, not least for children who remain particularly vulnerable online.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\"Cybersecurity is fantastic.\" Declares Professor Mary Aiken, Cyberpsychology Chair, at Capitol Technology University. \"It protects your data, your systems, and your networks, but it does not protect what it is to be human online. The great news is, there is evidence of a new emerging sector, the online safety technology sector or safety tech. We have health tech, we have fintech, and now we have safety tech. And I would love to see the Gulf lead in cyberspace by adopting this new sector, investing in and growing the sector.\"<\/p>\n<p>The problems of today may be well documented, but some argue that tomorrow's technology, especially the next generation of computers, will come with a different set of challenges.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">Watch out! Silicon Valley could become a rust belt because new technology is coming now...<br><br>...quantum computers, that compute on atoms, not just ordinary transistors.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <div class=\"widget__authorText\">\n Professor Michio Kaku\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"widget__author_descriptionText\">\n Theoretical Physicist, at the City University of New York.\n <\/div>\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The more education and knowledge sharing about changing technology and evolving threats in cybersecurity, the better, said the futurist. Not least to dispel myths about the relatively new sector.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\"Well, when people first hear about the concept of cybersecurity, they immediately conjure up James Bond.\" Says\u00a0Professor Michio Kaku, a\u00a0Theoretical Physicist, at the City University of New York.\u00a0\"They think of spy versus spy. They think of all the shenanigans that nations use to hide truths from each other. This conference is about promoting understanding between different people. It's about counteracting the mistruths and the fake news that's out there. It's about making sure that people can cooperate and promote peace and justice. That's what it's all about.\"<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//19//33//44//808x454_cmsv2_541f8777-4f1b-553d-9b13-dfc66c435af4-7193344.jpg/" alt=\"Euronews\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/33\/44\/384x216_cmsv2_541f8777-4f1b-553d-9b13-dfc66c435af4-7193344.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/33\/44\/640x360_cmsv2_541f8777-4f1b-553d-9b13-dfc66c435af4-7193344.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/33\/44\/750x422_cmsv2_541f8777-4f1b-553d-9b13-dfc66c435af4-7193344.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/33\/44\/828x466_cmsv2_541f8777-4f1b-553d-9b13-dfc66c435af4-7193344.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/33\/44\/1080x608_cmsv2_541f8777-4f1b-553d-9b13-dfc66c435af4-7193344.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/33\/44\/1200x675_cmsv2_541f8777-4f1b-553d-9b13-dfc66c435af4-7193344.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/33\/44\/1920x1080_cmsv2_541f8777-4f1b-553d-9b13-dfc66c435af4-7193344.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Professor Michio Kaku, Theoretical Physicist, City University of New York<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Euronews<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>And that key message was top of mind for delegates as this year's symposium wrapped up. When they assemble next, they hope to have gone some way to improving peace of mind for parents, business owners, and governments while serving justice to cyber criminals looking to disrupt and deceive, in today's fast-paced tech world.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1668436615,"publishedAt":1669370424,"updatedAt":1669370549,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/11\/25\/global-cybersecurity-forum-rethinking-the-global-cyber-order","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/33\/46\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_a3a411f5-707c-5272-a9ff-993aa0f6b9d7-7193346.jpg","altText":null,"caption":null,"captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"euronews","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/33\/44\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_ff36e85f-cbf1-5aff-a9f3-aaf9e34ef3a1-7193344.jpg","altText":" Professor Mary Aiken, Cyberpsychology Chair, Capitol Technology University","caption":" Professor Mary Aiken, Cyberpsychology Chair, Capitol Technology University","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Euronews","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":960,"height":540},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/33\/44\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_541f8777-4f1b-553d-9b13-dfc66c435af4-7193344.jpg","altText":"Professor Michio Kaku, Theoretical Physicist, City University of New York","caption":"Professor Michio Kaku, Theoretical Physicist, City University of New York","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Euronews","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":960,"height":540},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/33\/44\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_60b80e72-f1c5-56f8-9be0-e0d3c36ab9de-7193344.jpg","altText":"Global Cybersecurity Forum returned for its second edition in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh","caption":"Global Cybersecurity Forum returned for its second edition in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Euronews","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":960,"height":540},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/19\/33\/44\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_5adf753d-7aaa-5d42-b25e-58726884505c-7193344.jpg","altText":"Craig Jones, Cybercrime Director, Interpol","caption":"Craig Jones, Cybercrime Director, Interpol","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Euronews","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":960,"height":540}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":9907,"slug":"cyber-attacks","urlSafeValue":"cyber-attacks","title":"Cyber attacks","titleRaw":"Cyber attacks"},{"id":152,"slug":"internet","urlSafeValue":"internet","title":"Internet","titleRaw":"Internet"},{"id":243,"slug":"saudi-arabia","urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","titleRaw":"Saudi 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Cybersecurity Forum","disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":"Global Cybersecurity Forum","sponsorName":"global-cybersecurity-forum","sponsorUrl":"https:\/\/globalcybersecurityforum.com","sponsorLogo":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/campaigns\/578\/300x93_cmsv2_668f9330-77a5-597d-b950-6e9abb626f53-578.jpg","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":12,"urlSafeValue":"asia","title":"Asia"},"country":{"id":243,"urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","url":"\/news\/asia\/saudi-arabia"},"town":[],"versions":[],"path":"\/2022\/11\/25\/global-cybersecurity-forum-rethinking-the-global-cyber-order","lastModified":1669370549},{"id":2132810,"cid":7211580,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"221124_NCSU_49241624","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gs_science','gb_safe','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','neg_mobkoi_castrol','climatechange','gs_busfin_business','castrol_negative_uk','progressivemedia','gs_busfin','gs_science_weather','gs_science_environ','gs_science_environment','gs_busfin_indus_advertising'","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Watch: World record-breaking drone display in Riyadh","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Watch: World record-breaking drone display in Riyadh","titleListing2":"The technological feat is the biggest of its kind ever achieved.","leadin":"It marks the launch of Saudi Arabia's first electric vehicle brand, Ceer.","summary":"It marks the launch of Saudi Arabia's first electric vehicle brand, Ceer.","keySentence":null,"url":"watch-world-record-breaking-drone-display-in-riyadh","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"A scannable QR code illuminates the night sky.\u00a0The technological feat is the biggest of its kind ever achieved. \n\nIt marks the launch of Saudi Arabia's first electric vehicle brand, Ceer.\u00a0The company says the vehicles are scheduled to be available in 2025. \n\nOver 1,300 drones have been launched simultaneously in the sky above Riyadh - breaking the Guinness World Record for the largest drone QR code.\u00a0The code takes users to Ceer's own website. \n\n\"They wanted to do something big for their launch. They wanted to kind of make a spectacle. So they decided to attempt a record with Guinness World Records, in order to kind of build a buzz around the launch of the brand,\" Shaddy Gadd, Senior Marketing Manager, MENAT, Guinness World Records. \n\nTemperatures in the Middle East have risen far quicker than the world's average in the past three decades. \n\nThe Middle East is one of the most vulnerable regions in the world to the impact of climate change \u2014 and already the effects are being seen. \n\nSummers in Saudi Arabia can reach sweltering temperatures. So the brand said it will customise vehicles with this in mind.","htmlText":"<p>A scannable QR code illuminates the night sky.\u00a0The technological feat is the biggest of its kind ever achieved.<\/p>\n<p>It marks the launch of Saudi Arabia's first electric vehicle brand, Ceer.\u00a0The company says the vehicles are scheduled to be available in 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Over 1,300 drones have been launched simultaneously in the sky above Riyadh - breaking the Guinness World Record for the largest drone QR code.\u00a0The code takes users to Ceer's own website.<\/p>\n<p>\"They wanted to do something big for their launch. They wanted to kind of make a spectacle. So they decided to attempt a record with Guinness World Records, in order to kind of build a buzz around the launch of the brand,\" Shaddy Gadd, Senior Marketing Manager, MENAT, Guinness World Records.<\/p>\n<p>Temperatures in the Middle East have risen far quicker than the world's average in the past three decades.<\/p>\n<p>The Middle East is one of the most vulnerable regions in the world to the impact of climate change \u2014 and already the effects are being seen.<\/p>\n<p>Summers in Saudi Arabia can reach sweltering temperatures. So the brand said it will customise vehicles with this in mind.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1669283011,"publishedAt":1669288472,"updatedAt":1669288476,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/11\/24\/watch-world-record-breaking-drone-display-in-riyadh","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/21\/15\/80\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_2d5dc321-164e-5e78-a810-927150f6fdc5-7211580.jpg","altText":"The biggest drone display to celebrate the launch of Saudi Arabia's car brand, Ceer","caption":"The biggest drone display to celebrate the launch of Saudi Arabia's car brand, Ceer","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Euronews","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":960,"height":540}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":17690,"slug":"drone","urlSafeValue":"drone","title":"drone","titleRaw":"drone"},{"id":389,"slug":"technology","urlSafeValue":"technology","title":"Technology","titleRaw":"Technology"},{"id":243,"slug":"saudi-arabia","urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","titleRaw":"Saudi Arabia"}],"related":[{"id":2131232},{"id":2130804},{"id":2118284}],"technicalTags":[],"widgets":[],"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":{"quotation":null,"description":null,"author":null},"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":null,"contentType":null,"displayOverlay":0},"displayType":"default","video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NC\/SU\/22\/11\/24\/en\/221124_NCSU_49241624_49241729_60000_104928_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":"60000","filesizeBytes":7897415,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NC\/SU\/22\/11\/24\/en\/221124_NCSU_49241624_49241729_60000_104928_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":"60000","filesizeBytes":11726151,"expiresAt":0}],"externalPartners":{"dailymotionId":"x8fshjk","youtubeId":"GAd5RC0RrD8"},"liveStream":[],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"","program":{"id":"nocomment","urlSafeValue":"nocomment","title":"no comment","online":1,"url":"\/nocomment"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":0,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":12,"urlSafeValue":"asia","title":"Asia"},"country":{"id":243,"urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","url":"\/news\/asia\/saudi-arabia"},"town":[],"versions":[],"path":"\/video\/2022\/11\/24\/watch-world-record-breaking-drone-display-in-riyadh","lastModified":1669288476},{"id":2131232,"cid":7208020,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"221122_NWSU_49213656","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"grapeshot":"'gb_safe','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_sport','gs_science_geography','gt_mixed','gs_science','african_related_content_uk','gv_safe'","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"From cleaner to World Cup coach: Who is Saudi Arabia football manager Herv\u00e9 Renard?","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Who is the French coach behind Saudi Arabia\u2019s World Cup success?","titleListing2":"From cleaner to World Cup coach: Who is Saudi Arabia football manager Herv\u00e9 Renard?","leadin":"French coach Herv\u00e9 Renard led Saudi Arabia to a landmark 2-1 win against Argentina","summary":"French coach Herv\u00e9 Renard led Saudi Arabia to a landmark 2-1 win against Argentina","keySentence":null,"url":"from-cleaner-to-world-cup-coach-who-is-saudi-arabia-football-manager-herve-renard","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Saudi Arabia landed a historic win over Argentina in the Qatar World Cup on Tuesday, defeating the South American men\u2019s football team \u2014 ranked third in the world by FIFA \u2014 2-1. \n\nThe key behind their victory? French coach Herv\u00e9 Renard, who became Saudi Arabia\u2019s manager in 2019 and propelled the team to unprecedented success. \n\nRenard\u2019s own personal trajectory has been far from linear. The Aix-les-Bains native started off as a defender in French football teams throughout the 1980s and 90s, until a knee injury in 1998 crushed his playing career. \n\nShortly after, aged 30, he became a coach for Draguignan SC, a small team in southern France. He also started working as a cleaner between training sessions and eventually founded his own cleaning company. \n\nBack in his early coaching days, the World Cup was still a very distant prospect for the aspiring manager. \n\n\u201cIt was a childhood dream, that even seemed unimaginable,\u201d he recounted while speaking to AFP. \n\nCome 2004, Renard faced further obstacles after his short stint at Cambridge United - a lower league English team - ended with the sack. \n\nNevertheless, his fortunes would be reversed by the 2010s. After years working for different national teams and clubs across Africa and Asia, he led Zambia and Ivory Coast to wins at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012 and 2015 respectively - making him the first coach to win the trophy twice with two different countries. \n\nBy July 2019, Renard had signed a deal to become Saudi Arabia\u2019s manager, leading the Gulf Arab state to its upset win against Argentina in the 2022 World Cup. \n\n\u201cAll the stars in the sky were aligned for us,\u201d the French coach told reporters after his Tuesday win.","htmlText":"<p>Saudi Arabia landed a historic win over Argentina in the Qatar World Cup on Tuesday, defeating the South American men\u2019s football team \u2014 ranked third in the world by FIFA \u2014 2-1.<\/p>\n<p>The key behind their victory? French coach Herv\u00e9 Renard, who became Saudi Arabia\u2019s manager in 2019 and propelled the team to unprecedented success.<\/p>\n<p>Renard\u2019s own personal trajectory has been far from linear. The Aix-les-Bains native started off as a defender in French football teams throughout the 1980s and 90s, until a knee injury in 1998 crushed his playing career.<\/p>\n<p>Shortly after, aged 30, he became a coach for Draguignan SC, a small team in southern France. He also started working as a cleaner between training sessions and eventually founded his own cleaning company.<\/p>\n<p>Back in his early coaching days, the World Cup was still a very distant prospect for the aspiring manager.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was a childhood dream, that even seemed unimaginable,\u201d he recounted while speaking to AFP.<\/p>\n<p>Come 2004, Renard faced further obstacles after his short stint at Cambridge United - a lower league English team - ended with the sack.<\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, his fortunes would be reversed by the 2010s. After years working for different national teams and clubs across Africa and Asia, he led Zambia and Ivory Coast to wins at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012 and 2015 respectively - making him the first coach to win the trophy twice with two different countries.<\/p>\n<p>By July 2019, Renard had signed a deal to become Saudi Arabia\u2019s manager, leading the Gulf Arab state to its upset win against Argentina in the 2022 World Cup.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll the stars in the sky were aligned for us,\u201d the French coach told reporters after his Tuesday win.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1669127552,"publishedAt":1669129961,"updatedAt":1669133298,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/11\/22\/from-cleaner-to-world-cup-coach-who-is-saudi-arabia-football-manager-herve-renard","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/20\/80\/20\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_2cace084-e8d7-56e8-a926-6c793d575747-7208020.jpg","altText":"Saudi Arabia's head coach Herv\u00e9 Renard looks out during the World Cup match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar. Tuesday, 22 Nov. 2022.","caption":"Saudi Arabia's head coach Herv\u00e9 Renard looks out during the World Cup match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar. Tuesday, 22 Nov. 2022.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Ricardo Mazalan","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1316,"height":881},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/20\/80\/20\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_b9a53698-e60b-5cdb-8a4d-d113522ca2f6-7208020.jpg","altText":"Saudi Arabia's head coach Herv\u00e9 Renard looks out during the World Cup match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar. Tuesday, 22 Nov. 2022.","caption":"Saudi Arabia's head coach Herv\u00e9 Renard looks out during the World Cup match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar. Tuesday, 22 Nov. 2022.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Ricardo Mazalan\/Copyright 2022 The AP. All rights reserved","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"height":1181}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"martinez-a","title":"Andrea Carlo","twitter":""}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":27702,"slug":"world-cup-2022-in-qatar","urlSafeValue":"world-cup-2022-in-qatar","title":"World Cup 2022 in Qatar","titleRaw":"World Cup 2022 in Qatar"},{"id":234,"slug":"qatar","urlSafeValue":"qatar","title":"Qatar","titleRaw":"Qatar"},{"id":243,"slug":"saudi-arabia","urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","titleRaw":"Saudi Arabia"}],"related":[{"id":2129860},{"id":2132810}],"technicalTags":[],"widgets":[],"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":{"quotation":null,"description":null,"author":null},"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":null,"contentType":null,"displayOverlay":0},"displayType":"default","video":0,"videos":[],"externalPartners":[],"liveStream":[],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"AFP","additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":0,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":12,"urlSafeValue":"asia","title":"Asia"},"country":{"id":243,"urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","url":"\/news\/asia\/saudi-arabia"},"town":[],"versions":[],"path":"\/2022\/11\/22\/from-cleaner-to-world-cup-coach-who-is-saudi-arabia-football-manager-herve-renard","lastModified":1669133298},{"id":2127956,"cid":7200534,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"221118_NWSU_49159976","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"grapeshot":null,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Saudi prince Mohammed bin Salman 'immune' from a lawsuit over Khashoggi murder, says US","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"'Jamal died again today': Anger at Saudi prince's Khashoggi 'immunity'","titleListing2":"Saudi prince Mohammed bin Salman 'immune' from a lawsuit over Khashoggi murder, says US","leadin":"US intelligence services have previously said that the Saudi crown prince likely approved the journalist's killing.","summary":"US intelligence services have previously said that the Saudi crown prince likely approved the journalist's killing.","keySentence":null,"url":"saudi-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-immune-from-a-lawsuit-over-khashoggi-murder-says-us","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Saudi Arabia\u2019s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has immunity from a lawsuit over the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the United States has said. \n\nThe US administration declared on Thursday he should be considered immune from prosecution over the brutal killing. \n\nKhashoggi, a dissident journalist and critic, was murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. His remains have never been found. \n\nUS intelligence services had concluded that\u00a0the Saudi crown prince likely approved the killing.\u00a0Saudi Arabia says the prince had no direct role in the slaying. \n\nIn a surprise move, the US administration now says bin Salman could not be prosecuted because of his senior position as\u00a0Saudi Arabia\u2019s de facto ruler and prime minister. \n\nHe had faced a lawsuit from Khashoggi's former fianc\u00e9e and Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), a human rights group founded by the journalist. \n\nThe US request is non-binding and a judge will ultimately decide whether to grant immunity. \n\nThe US State Department stated that it \u201ctakes no view on the merits of the present suit and reiterates its unequivocal condemnation of the heinous murder of Jamal Khashoggi\u201d. \n\nBut the statement represents a significant u-turn from President Joe Biden's administration , which regularly condemned MBS over Khashoggi's murder. \n\nThe US decision is also likely to anger human rights activists and lawmakers, as\u00a0Saudi Arabia steps up the imprisonment of opponents. \n\n\"Jamal died again today\" with the ruling,\u00a0Khashoggi's ex-fianc\u00e9e, Hatice Cengiz, wrote on Twitter. \n\n\u201cIt\u2019s beyond ironic that President Biden has singlehandedly assured MBS can escape accountability when it was President Biden who promised the American people he would do everything to hold him accountable,\u201d the head of DAWN, Sarah Leah Whitson, said in a statement. \n\n\"It\u2019s impossible to read the Biden administration\u2019s move today as anything more than a capitulation to Saudi pressure tactics,\" she added. \n\nRiyadh recently\u00a0cut oil production, seemingly undercutting efforts by the US and Western allies to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.","htmlText":"<p>Saudi Arabia\u2019s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has immunity from a lawsuit over the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the United States has said.<\/p>\n<p>The US administration declared on Thursday he should be considered immune from prosecution over the brutal killing.<\/p>\n<p>Khashoggi, a dissident journalist and critic, was murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. His remains have never been found.<\/p>\n<p>US intelligence services had concluded that\u00a0the Saudi crown prince likely approved the killing.\u00a0Saudi Arabia says the prince had no direct role in the slaying.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"6851328,5421076,5415640\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//07//15//biden-to-meet-with-saudi-arabia-leaders-despite-khashoggi-killing-criticism/">Biden to meet with Saudi Arabia leaders despite Khashoggi killing criticism<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2021//03//01//jamal-khashoggi-fiancee-of-murdered-journalist-calls-for-saudi-crown-prince-to-be-punished/">Jamal Khashoggi: Fianc\u00e9e of murdered journalist calls for Saudi Crown Prince to 'be punished'<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2021//02//26//saudi-prince-mbs-authorised-operation-to-capture-or-kill-journalist-khashoggi-claims-us-re/">Jamal Khashoggi: Saudi Arabia rejects US intelligence report into journalist's death<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>In a surprise move, the US administration now says bin Salman could not be prosecuted because of his senior position as\u00a0Saudi Arabia\u2019s de facto ruler and prime minister.<\/p>\n<p>He had faced a lawsuit from Khashoggi's former fianc\u00e9e and Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), a human rights group founded by the journalist.<\/p>\n<p>The US request is non-binding and a judge will ultimately decide whether to grant immunity.<\/p>\n<p>The US State Department stated that it \u201ctakes no view on the merits of the present suit and reiterates its unequivocal condemnation of the heinous murder of Jamal Khashoggi\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>But the statement represents a <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2021//02//26//biden-emphasises-human-rights-in-first-saudi-call-ahead-of-khashoggi-report/">significant u-turn from President Joe Biden's administration<\/strong><\/a>, which regularly condemned MBS over Khashoggi's murder.<\/p>\n<p>The US decision is also likely to anger human rights activists and lawmakers, as\u00a0Saudi Arabia steps up the imprisonment of opponents.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1593450156053110787\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\"Jamal died again today\" with the ruling,\u00a0Khashoggi's ex-fianc\u00e9e, Hatice Cengiz, wrote on Twitter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s beyond ironic that President Biden has singlehandedly assured MBS can escape accountability when it was President Biden who promised the American people he would do everything to hold him accountable,\u201d the head of DAWN, Sarah Leah Whitson, said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>\"It\u2019s impossible to read the Biden administration\u2019s move today as anything more than a capitulation to Saudi pressure tactics,\" she added.<\/p>\n<p>Riyadh recently\u00a0cut oil production, seemingly undercutting efforts by the US and Western allies to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1668770810,"publishedAt":1668775264,"updatedAt":1668775276,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/11\/18\/saudi-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-immune-from-a-lawsuit-over-khashoggi-murder-says-us","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/20\/05\/34\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_02109f70-5c65-541a-a19b-b4ab9fdf1565-7200534.jpg","altText":"Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, speaks during the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia","caption":"Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, speaks during the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Credit: AP","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"height":900},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/20\/05\/34\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_d97ddbe7-0ba0-551d-bd73-9be6d65ff5e6-7200534.jpg","altText":"US intelligence has said it believes Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.","caption":"US intelligence has said it believes Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Athit Perawongmetha\/Pool Photo via AP","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1451,"height":895}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":243,"slug":"saudi-arabia","urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","titleRaw":"Saudi Arabia"},{"id":17228,"slug":"jamal-khashoggi","urlSafeValue":"jamal-khashoggi","title":"Jamal Khashoggi","titleRaw":"Jamal Khashoggi"},{"id":13363,"slug":"united-states","urlSafeValue":"united-states","title":"United States","titleRaw":"United States"},{"id":16712,"slug":"assassinated-journalists","urlSafeValue":"assassinated-journalists","title":"Assassinated journalists","titleRaw":"Assassinated journalists"},{"id":13476,"slug":"mohammad-bin-salman","urlSafeValue":"mohammad-bin-salman","title":"Mohammad bin Salman","titleRaw":"Mohammad bin 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Arabia","url":"\/news\/asia\/saudi-arabia"},"town":[],"versions":[],"path":"\/2022\/11\/18\/saudi-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-immune-from-a-lawsuit-over-khashoggi-murder-says-us","lastModified":1668775276},{"id":2121636,"cid":7186162,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"221110_S5WB_49047761","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"grapeshot":null,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Saudi\u2019s diverse cultural calendar is full of surprises","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":null,"titleListing2":"Saudi\u2019s diverse cultural calendar is full of surprises","leadin":"From nomads and flower men to pop-rock bands and techno DJs, all walks of life are shaping the cultural scene in the Kingdom","summary":"From nomads and flower men to pop-rock bands and techno DJs, all walks of life are shaping the cultural scene in the Kingdom","keySentence":null,"url":"saudis-diverse-cultural-calendar-is-full-of-surprises","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"From nomads and flower men to pop-rock bands and techno DJs, all walks of life are shaping the cultural scene in the Kingdom \n\nThe largest country in the Middle East, Saudi is divided into 13 provinces, each characterised by its own unique culture. In 2019, the country opened its arms to the world, welcoming visitors and inviting them to explore the country\u2019s vibrant cityscapes and zen retreats \u2013\u00a0and its action-packed calendar of events. \n\nArt in AlUla: contemporary collections, installations and sell-out concerts \n\nThreaded throughout the cultural calendar, AlUla Moments is a series of festivals, running from January to December, hosted in one of Saudi\u2019s most intriguing locations. AlUla, in the Madinah province, is a living museum that holds thousands of years of human history, a story told through the preserved tombs, ancient dwellings and monuments of Dadan, capital of the Dadanite and Lihyanite kingdoms, and the Nabataean city of Hegra, Saudi Arabia\u2019s first UNESCO World Heritage site. \n\nThe seven-week AlUla Arts festival , beginning mid-February, is an exciting time to visit. The juxtaposition of antiquity and contemporary art is striking. Gigantic outdoor art installations stand against a mountainous desert backdrop and curated collections are displayed at Maraya , the world\u2019s largest mirrored building (maraya means mirror in Arabic), surreal in situ, reflecting the surrounding natural beauty. \n\nA multi-purpose space, Maraya also functions as a concert hall. One Republic and John Legend are among the headline acts performing in November 2022, another buzzing month in the AlUla Moments programming. \n\nThe AlUla Moments calendar concludes with the Winter at Tantora music and arts festival, running from 21 December 2022 to 21 January 2023, promising intimate performances by acclaimed musicians, as well as theatrical performances and fashion shows. \n\nLight up your life at Noor Riyadh \n\nTransforming the capital into a dazzling night-time gallery without walls, Noor Riyadh 2022 is\u202fa citywide annual festival harnessing the power of light and art. Running from 3 to 19 November 2022, the event will illuminate the capital with more than 120 installations by some 100 international and local artists from more than 40 countries. \n\nWith the theme \u2018We Dream of New Horizons\u2019, installations can be seen across 40 locations in the city, tripling the footprint of the inaugural festival in 2021, and making it the largest of its kind in the world. \n\nWorld-renowned artists such as teamLab, Daniel Buren, Douglas Gordon and Alicja Kwade will be joined by Saudi talent including Muhannad Shono, Ayman Zedani, Sarah Brahim and Ahaad Alamoudi. The diverse forms of light art on show include immersive site-specific installations, monumental public artworks, ephemeral sculptures, art trails and drone shows. \n\nNoor Riyadh will be accompanied by a three-month art exhibition, called \u2018From Spark to Spirit\u2019, taking place from now until 4 February 2023 at JAX 03 in Riyadh. Curated by Neville Wakefield and Gaida AlMogren, it explores themes such as the \u2018Technologies of Light\u2019, \u2018Architectonics of Light\u2019 and \u2018Consciousness of Light\u2019. \n\nRaving in Riyadh where history meets modernity \n\nForward-facing Riyadh is layered onto its centuries-old history, which can be appreciated in Al Masmak Fortress, standing strong since 1865, and Souq Al Zal, as colourful and vibrant today as it was when it opened in 1901. As Saudi\u2019s thriving capital and entertainment hub, it\u2019s also home to one of the biggest, loudest and coolest raves the country has ever seen. \n\nMDLBEAST Soundstorm returns to Riyadh from 1 to 3 December. Launched in 2019, more than 200 artists performed for record crowds of more than 700,000 revellers at the music festival last year. Confirmed headliners this year include Bruno Mars, Post Malone, DJ Khaled, Wizkid, Marshmello, David Guetta, DJ Snake, Carl Cox and Solomun, who\u2019ll perform alongside an impressive lineup of local Saudi female DJs, from Biirdperson and Cosmicat, to Kayan and Solskin. Few events represent the modernity of this metropolis more. \n\nMeet the flower men of Arabia in Asir \n\nThe province of Asir is home to a national park , Saudi\u2019s highest mountain and one of the country\u2019s most fascinating communities. Known as \u2018flower men\u2019 , male Qahtani tribe members wear floral garlands on their heads in a nod to the health benefits afforded by nature. \n\nNow residing on the foothills of the Asir mountains, during the Ottoman Empire, to protect themselves from invasion, the Qahtani tribe lived in the \u2018hanging village\u2019 of Al Habala. At that time, it was only accessible by rope ladders (habala means rope in Arabic). Right up until the Eighties, they remained there self-sufficiently, surviving off their land and limited livestock. \n\nNow, the abandoned Al Habala is accessible to tourists by cable car, and in the nearby village of Rijal Almaa, there\u2019s an annual 20-day Flowerman Festival held each August to uphold the Qahtani tradition of performing folk music and dances. A light show and handicraft market add to the extravaganza \u2013 and, of course, the most prized souvenir is a crown of flowers. \n\nPartner content presented by Saudi Tourism","htmlText":"<p><strong>From nomads and flower men to pop-rock bands and techno DJs, all walks of life are shaping the cultural scene in the Kingdom<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The largest country in the Middle East, Saudi is divided into 13 provinces, each characterised by its own unique culture. In 2019, the country opened its arms to the world, welcoming visitors and inviting them to explore the country\u2019s vibrant cityscapes and zen retreats \u2013\u00a0and its action-packed calendar of events.<\/p>\n<h2>Art in AlUla: contemporary collections, installations and sell-out concerts<\/h2><p>Threaded throughout the cultural calendar, <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.experiencealula.com//en//alula-moments/">AlUla Moments<\/a> is a series of festivals, running from January to December, hosted in one of Saudi\u2019s most intriguing locations. AlUla, in the Madinah province, is a living museum that holds thousands of years of human history, a story told through the preserved tombs, ancient dwellings and monuments of Dadan, capital of the Dadanite and Lihyanite kingdoms, and the Nabataean city of Hegra, Saudi Arabia\u2019s first UNESCO World Heritage site.<\/p>\n<p>The seven-week <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.experiencealula.com//en//alula-moments-2021-2022//alula-arts-festival/">AlUla Arts festival<\/a>, beginning mid-February, is an exciting time to visit. The juxtaposition of antiquity and contemporary art is striking. Gigantic outdoor art installations stand against a mountainous desert backdrop and curated collections are displayed at <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.experiencealula.com//en//business-special-events//maraya/">Maraya, the world\u2019s largest mirrored building (maraya means mirror in Arabic), surreal in situ, reflecting the surrounding natural beauty.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6890697674418604\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//18//61//62//808x557_cmsv2_b8b41cb7-1d5f-510d-915e-58d6b896fccd-7186162.jpg/" alt=\"FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/61\/62\/384x265_cmsv2_b8b41cb7-1d5f-510d-915e-58d6b896fccd-7186162.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/61\/62\/640x441_cmsv2_b8b41cb7-1d5f-510d-915e-58d6b896fccd-7186162.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/61\/62\/750x517_cmsv2_b8b41cb7-1d5f-510d-915e-58d6b896fccd-7186162.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/61\/62\/828x571_cmsv2_b8b41cb7-1d5f-510d-915e-58d6b896fccd-7186162.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/61\/62\/1080x744_cmsv2_b8b41cb7-1d5f-510d-915e-58d6b896fccd-7186162.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/61\/62\/1200x827_cmsv2_b8b41cb7-1d5f-510d-915e-58d6b896fccd-7186162.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/61\/62\/1920x1323_cmsv2_b8b41cb7-1d5f-510d-915e-58d6b896fccd-7186162.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">The purpose-built Maraya Concert hall.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>A multi-purpose space, Maraya also functions as a concert hall. One Republic and John Legend are among the headline acts performing in November 2022, another buzzing month in the AlUla Moments programming.<\/p>\n<p>The AlUla Moments calendar concludes with the Winter at Tantora music and arts festival, running from 21 December 2022 to 21 January 2023, promising intimate performances by acclaimed musicians, as well as theatrical performances and fashion shows.<\/p>\n<h2>Light up your life at Noor Riyadh<\/h2><p>Transforming the capital into a dazzling night-time gallery without walls, <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////riyadhart.sa//en//noor-riyadh///">Noor Riyadh 2022<\/a> is\u202fa citywide annual festival harnessing the power of light and art. Running from 3 to 19 November 2022, the event will illuminate the capital with more than 120 installations by some 100 international and local artists from more than 40 countries.<\/p>\n<p>With the theme \u2018We Dream of New Horizons\u2019, installations can be seen across 40 locations in the city, tripling the footprint of the inaugural festival in 2021, and making it the largest of its kind in the world.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//18//61//62//808x454_cmsv2_a4db8a69-94ce-5d4e-a0aa-3b4dee7a3fc9-7186162.jpg/" alt=\"FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/61\/62\/384x216_cmsv2_a4db8a69-94ce-5d4e-a0aa-3b4dee7a3fc9-7186162.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/61\/62\/640x360_cmsv2_a4db8a69-94ce-5d4e-a0aa-3b4dee7a3fc9-7186162.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/61\/62\/750x422_cmsv2_a4db8a69-94ce-5d4e-a0aa-3b4dee7a3fc9-7186162.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/61\/62\/828x466_cmsv2_a4db8a69-94ce-5d4e-a0aa-3b4dee7a3fc9-7186162.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/61\/62\/1080x608_cmsv2_a4db8a69-94ce-5d4e-a0aa-3b4dee7a3fc9-7186162.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/61\/62\/1200x675_cmsv2_a4db8a69-94ce-5d4e-a0aa-3b4dee7a3fc9-7186162.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/61\/62\/1920x1080_cmsv2_a4db8a69-94ce-5d4e-a0aa-3b4dee7a3fc9-7186162.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Noor Riyadh lighting festival held at Al-Salam Park in the Saudi capital Riyadh.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>World-renowned artists such as teamLab, Daniel Buren, Douglas Gordon and Alicja Kwade will be joined by Saudi talent including Muhannad Shono, Ayman Zedani, Sarah Brahim and Ahaad Alamoudi. The diverse forms of light art on show include immersive site-specific installations, monumental public artworks, ephemeral sculptures, art trails and drone shows.<\/p>\n<p>Noor Riyadh will be accompanied by a three-month art exhibition, called \u2018From Spark to Spirit\u2019, taking place from now until 4 February 2023 at JAX 03 in Riyadh. Curated by Neville Wakefield and Gaida AlMogren, it explores themes such as the \u2018Technologies of Light\u2019, \u2018Architectonics of Light\u2019 and \u2018Consciousness of Light\u2019.<\/p>\n<h2>Raving in Riyadh where history meets modernity<\/h2><p>Forward-facing Riyadh is layered onto its centuries-old history, which can be appreciated in Al Masmak Fortress, standing strong since 1865, and Souq Al Zal, as colourful and vibrant today as it was when it opened in 1901. As Saudi\u2019s thriving capital and entertainment hub, it\u2019s also home to one of the biggest, loudest and coolest raves the country has ever seen.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6666666666666666\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//18//61//62//808x539_cmsv2_f57ed7dc-7884-5db8-8a08-b43453073007-7186162.jpg/" alt=\"Scott Garfitt\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/61\/62\/384x256_cmsv2_f57ed7dc-7884-5db8-8a08-b43453073007-7186162.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/61\/62\/640x427_cmsv2_f57ed7dc-7884-5db8-8a08-b43453073007-7186162.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/61\/62\/750x500_cmsv2_f57ed7dc-7884-5db8-8a08-b43453073007-7186162.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/61\/62\/828x552_cmsv2_f57ed7dc-7884-5db8-8a08-b43453073007-7186162.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/61\/62\/1080x720_cmsv2_f57ed7dc-7884-5db8-8a08-b43453073007-7186162.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/61\/62\/1200x800_cmsv2_f57ed7dc-7884-5db8-8a08-b43453073007-7186162.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/61\/62\/1920x1280_cmsv2_f57ed7dc-7884-5db8-8a08-b43453073007-7186162.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Two Female DJ's entertain large crowds at MDL Beast in 2021.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Scott Garfitt<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////mdlbeast.com///">MDLBEAST Soundstorm returns to Riyadh from 1 to 3 December. Launched in 2019, more than 200 artists performed for record crowds of more than 700,000 revellers at the music festival last year. Confirmed headliners this year include Bruno Mars, Post Malone, DJ Khaled, Wizkid, Marshmello, David Guetta, DJ Snake, Carl Cox and Solomun, who\u2019ll perform alongside an impressive lineup of local Saudi female DJs, from Biirdperson and Cosmicat, to Kayan and Solskin. Few events represent the modernity of this metropolis more.<\/p>\n<h2>Meet the flower men of Arabia in Asir<\/h2><p>The province of Asir is home to a <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////ae.almosafer.com//en//city-guides//abha//attractions//aseer-national-park/">national park<\/a>, Saudi\u2019s highest mountain and one of the country\u2019s most fascinating communities. Known as <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.bbc.com//travel//article//20181210-the-flower-men-of-saudi-arabia/">/u2018flower men\u2019<\/a>, male Qahtani tribe members wear floral garlands on their heads in a nod to the health benefits afforded by nature.<\/p>\n<p>Now residing on the foothills of the Asir mountains, during the Ottoman Empire, to protect themselves from invasion, the Qahtani tribe lived in the \u2018hanging village\u2019 of Al Habala. At that time, it was only accessible by rope ladders (habala means rope in Arabic). Right up until the Eighties, they remained there self-sufficiently, surviving off their land and limited livestock.<\/p>\n<p>Now, the abandoned Al Habala is accessible to tourists by cable car, and in the nearby village of Rijal Almaa, there\u2019s an annual 20-day Flowerman Festival held each August to uphold the Qahtani tradition of performing folk music and dances. A light show and handicraft market add to the extravaganza \u2013 and, of course, the most prized souvenir is a crown of flowers.<\/p>\n<p><em>Partner content presented by Saudi Tourism<\/em><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1668098531,"publishedAt":1668679561,"updatedAt":1668679639,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/2022\/11\/17\/saudis-diverse-cultural-calendar-is-full-of-surprises","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet-web","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/61\/62\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_2c723f3e-071d-5c93-8c5e-a675d90ce4ca-7186162.jpg","altText":"MDL Beast Festival attendee","caption":"MDL Beast Festival attendee","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Scott Garfitt","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":5189,"height":3459},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/61\/62\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_b8b41cb7-1d5f-510d-915e-58d6b896fccd-7186162.jpg","altText":"The purpose-built Maraya Concert hall.","caption":"The purpose-built Maraya Concert hall.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"FAYEZ NURELDINE\/AFP","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":4300,"height":2963},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/61\/62\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_a4db8a69-94ce-5d4e-a0aa-3b4dee7a3fc9-7186162.jpg","altText":"Noor Riyadh lighting festival held at Al-Salam Park in the Saudi capital Riyadh.","caption":"Noor Riyadh lighting festival held at Al-Salam Park in the Saudi capital Riyadh.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"FAYEZ NURELDINE\/AFP","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":5472,"height":3078},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/61\/62\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_f57ed7dc-7884-5db8-8a08-b43453073007-7186162.jpg","altText":"Two Female DJ's entertain large crowds at MDL Beast in 2021.","caption":"Two Female DJ's entertain large crowds at MDL Beast in 2021.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Scott Garfitt","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":3636,"height":2424}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":12639,"slug":"travel","urlSafeValue":"travel","title":"Travel","titleRaw":"Travel"},{"id":4221,"slug":"tourism","urlSafeValue":"tourism","title":"Tourism","titleRaw":"Tourism"},{"id":574,"slug":"culture","urlSafeValue":"culture","title":"Culture","titleRaw":"Culture"},{"id":243,"slug":"saudi-arabia","urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","titleRaw":"Saudi Arabia"}],"related":[{"id":2236958},{"id":2209352}],"technicalTags":[{"path":"sponsor.sauditourism2022"},{"path":"sponsor"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":3}],"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":{"quotation":null,"description":null,"author":null},"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":null,"contentType":null,"displayOverlay":0},"displayType":"default","video":0,"videos":[],"externalPartners":[],"liveStream":[],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":"Visit Saudi","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"","program":{"id":"see","urlSafeValue":"see","title":"See","online":0,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/see\/see"},"vertical":"culture","verticals":[{"id":10,"slug":"culture","urlSafeValue":"culture","title":"Culture"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":10,"slug":"culture","urlSafeValue":"culture","title":"Culture"},"themes":[{"id":"see","urlSafeValue":"see","title":"See","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/see"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":48,"urlSafeValue":"see","title":"See"},"advertising":1,"advertisingData":{"startDate":1667298677,"endDate":2114332280,"type":"advertisement_feature","isDfp":0,"slug":"visit-saudi-ad","title":"Visit Saudi Ad","disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":"Visit Saudi","sponsorName":"visit-saudi-ad","sponsorUrl":"https:\/\/www.visitsaudi.com\/en","sponsorLogo":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/campaigns\/504\/180x70_cmsv2_96286085-6103-510e-8c2d-e95dbf362efa-504.jpg","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":12,"urlSafeValue":"asia","title":"Asia"},"country":{"id":243,"urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","url":"\/news\/asia\/saudi-arabia"},"town":[],"versions":[],"path":"\/culture\/2022\/11\/17\/saudis-diverse-cultural-calendar-is-full-of-surprises","lastModified":1668679639},{"id":2120254,"cid":7182600,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"221109_SPSU_49020482","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"grapeshot":null,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Saudi: the new frontier for sporting adventures","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":null,"titleListing2":"Saudi: the new frontier for sporting adventures","leadin":"From scuba diving and hiking to horse racing and wrestling, Saudi is claiming its title as an international sports hub","summary":"From scuba diving and hiking to horse racing and wrestling, Saudi is claiming its title as an international sports hub","keySentence":null,"url":"saudi-the-new-frontier-for-sporting-adventures","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"From scuba diving and hiking to horse racing and wrestling, Saudi is claiming its title as an international sports hub \n\nFew people realise just how big Saudi is. Its vast land mass is bigger than the UK, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece combined, framed by 2,000km of tranquil blue waters and mostly untouched coastline. As a result, the country offers a diverse range of terrains and climates that lend themselves to a variety of sporting pursuits, from scuba diving in rich marine habitats to hiking along historic spice trails. With easy visa access and air connectivity, Saudi has also become a hot spot for spectator sports, drawing international audiences for big-ticket events from wrestling to motor racing. Here are just some of the bucket-list sporting pursuits to book in future. \n\nAim for the Moon \n\nOne hour\u2019s drive \u2013 90km \u2013 north of Jeddah, Moon Mountain is a hiker\u2019s haven defined by striking natural rock formations jutting out from the powder-soft sands and endless desert views. Adventurers can sample off-road driving, mountain climbing or hiking. Head to the summit of Moon Mountain to watch the stirring, multi-hued sunsets, before returning to the valley base. \n\nAfter dusk, the valley becomes a nocturnal playground, perfect for camping. Many visitors stay for two to three days, embracing the tranquillity after tiring hikes, and making use of the outdoor seating and barbecue facilities. Full moons illuminate the valley while darker evenings provide optimum conditions for stargazing . \n\nDiscover the hidden depths of the Red Sea \n\nBordered by the Red Sea to the west and the Arabian Gulf to the east, Saudi is a hotbed of marine life and a magnet for scuba divers and snorkelers. The coastal city of Jeddah is Saudi\u2019s diving capital; an ideal base for excursions to the Red Sea, home to more than 1200 species of fish, including the rare and endangered Napoleon wrasse and Solitary Sailfish, ranked as the world\u2019s fastest fish. \n\nYear-round sunshine provides warm waters and good visibility. Jeddah's best diving destinations include Sharm Obhur for bull shark sightings, alongside large schools of goatfish and blue-striped snappers, and the island of Abu Tair, where the Greek Staphonos sank in 1978 carrying its cargo of industrial cables, hence the site \u2013 now occupied by whitetip sharks and blue-spotted rays \u2013 is often called Cable Wreck. \n\nSee world champions battle to make history \n\nIn spectator sports, boxing and wrestling have been a big hit in Saudi. When world heavyweight champion Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk defended his title against Britain\u2019s Anthony Joshua at the \u2018Rage on the Red Sea\u2019 match, history was also made in women\u2019s boxing. On the undercard that night in August, at the King Abdullah Sports City Arena in Jeddah, British-Somali Ramla Ali and Dominican Republic\u2019s Crystal Garcia Nova went head-to-head, becoming the first women to box in Saudi. \n\nA 10-year partnership between Saudi and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) also guarantees a regular programme of wrestling. Most recently, WWE Crown Jewel 2022 took place on 5 November 2022 at Mrsool Park in Riyadh. The eighth WWE event to be held in the country, it was headlined by Roman Reigns who successfully defended his world title against social media superstar Logan Paul. \n\nGet geared up for a day at the races \n\nChoose between world-class racing events on four wheels or four hooves. A day at the races in Saudi always draws crowds. The F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix , which took place for the first time in 2021, is now a regular fixture on the Jeddah Corniche Circuit each March. Hospitality packages are available to purchase for 2023. \n\nEco-friendly motor enthusiasts might prefer the Diriyah ePrix , running each January, featuring Formula E electric car races in the historic surrounds of the Diriyah Gate UNESCO World Heritage site, northwest of Riyadh. \n\nIn equestrian contests, the richest race in the world is the Saudi Cup with a generous purse of $20 million (\u20ac20.27 million). In addition to the Saudi Cup, the riveting race day features five Group 3 races on both dirt and turf, the Group 2 Obaiya Arabian Classic for Purebred Arabian racehorses and the Jockey Club Handicap for locally trained horses. The meeting takes place each year during the last weekend of February at King Abdulaziz racecourse in Riyadh. \n\nAnd there\u2019s more sport in store\u2026 \n\nHosting skiing, snowboarding, ice hockey and figure skating competitions, the 2029 Asian Winter Games will take place in the planned Trojena winter resort in gigaproject development Neom. Meanwhile, football-obsessed Saudi has put in its bid to hold the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Local fans are on the edge of their seats awaiting the results\u2026 \n\nPartner content presented by Saudi Tourism","htmlText":"<p><strong>From scuba diving and hiking to horse racing and wrestling, Saudi is claiming its title as an international sports hub<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Few people realise just how big Saudi is. Its vast land mass is bigger than the UK, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece combined, framed by 2,000km of tranquil blue waters and mostly untouched coastline. As a result, the country offers a diverse range of terrains and climates that lend themselves to a variety of sporting pursuits, from scuba diving in rich marine habitats to hiking along historic spice trails. With easy visa access and air connectivity, Saudi has also become a hot spot for spectator sports, drawing international audiences for big-ticket events from wrestling to motor racing. Here are just some of the bucket-list sporting pursuits to book in future.<\/p>\n<h2>Aim for the Moon<\/h2><p>One hour\u2019s drive \u2013 90km \u2013 north of Jeddah, Moon Mountain is a hiker\u2019s haven defined by striking natural rock formations jutting out from the powder-soft sands and endless desert views. Adventurers can sample off-road driving, mountain climbing or hiking. Head to the summit of Moon Mountain to watch the stirring, multi-hued sunsets, before returning to the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////zamzam.com//blog//moon-valley-jeddah///">valley base.<\/p>\n<p>After dusk, the valley becomes a nocturnal playground, perfect for camping. Many visitors stay for two to three days, embracing the tranquillity after tiring hikes, and making use of the outdoor seating and barbecue facilities. Full moons illuminate the valley while darker evenings provide optimum conditions for <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.visitsaudi.com//en//do//adventure-activities//stargazing-in-moon-valley/">stargazing./n
Discover the hidden depths of the Red Sea<\/h2><p>Bordered by the Red Sea to the west and the Arabian Gulf to the east, Saudi is a hotbed of marine life and a magnet for <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.tdisdi.com//middle-east-blog//top-dives-diving-coast-saudi-arabia///">scuba divers<\/a> and snorkelers. The coastal city of Jeddah is Saudi\u2019s diving capital; an ideal base for excursions to the Red Sea, home to more than 1200 species of fish, including the rare and endangered Napoleon wrasse and Solitary Sailfish, ranked as the world\u2019s fastest fish.<\/p>\n<p>Year-round sunshine provides warm waters and good visibility. <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.visitsaudi.com//en//do//adventure-activities//4-top-scuba-sites-near-jeddah/">Jeddah's best diving destinations<\/a> include Sharm Obhur for bull shark sightings, alongside large schools of goatfish and blue-striped snappers, and the island of Abu Tair, where the Greek Staphonos sank in 1978 carrying its cargo of industrial cables, hence the site \u2013 now occupied by whitetip sharks and blue-spotted rays \u2013 is often called Cable Wreck.<\/p>\n<h2>See world champions battle to make history<\/h2><p>In spectator sports, boxing and wrestling have been a big hit in Saudi. When world heavyweight champion Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk defended his title against Britain\u2019s Anthony Joshua at the \u2018Rage on the Red Sea\u2019 match, history was also made in women\u2019s boxing. On the undercard that night in August, at the King Abdullah Sports City Arena in Jeddah, British-Somali Ramla Ali and Dominican Republic\u2019s Crystal Garcia Nova went head-to-head, becoming the first women to box in Saudi.<\/p>\n<p>A 10-year partnership between Saudi and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) also guarantees a regular programme of wrestling. Most recently, <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.wwe.com//shows//wwe-crown-jewel//2022/">WWE Crown Jewel 2022<\/a> took place on 5 November 2022 at Mrsool Park in Riyadh. The eighth WWE event to be held in the country, it was headlined by Roman Reigns who successfully defended his world title against social media superstar Logan Paul.<\/p>\n<h2>Get geared up for a day at the races<\/h2><p>Choose between world-class racing events on four wheels or four hooves. A day at the races in Saudi always draws crowds. The <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.formula1.com//en//racing//2022//Saudi_Arabia.html/">F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix<\/a>, which took place for the first time in 2021, is now a regular fixture on the Jeddah Corniche Circuit each March. Hospitality packages are available to purchase for 2023.<\/p>\n<p>Eco-friendly motor enthusiasts might prefer the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////diriyah-eprix.com//en///">Diriyah ePrix<\/a>, running each January, featuring Formula E electric car races in the historic surrounds of the Diriyah Gate UNESCO World Heritage site, northwest of Riyadh.<\/p>\n<p>In equestrian contests, the richest race in the world is the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////thesaudicup.com.sa///">Saudi Cup<\/a> with a generous purse of $20 million (\u20ac20.27 million). In addition to the Saudi Cup, the riveting race day features five Group 3 races on both dirt and turf, the Group 2 Obaiya Arabian Classic for Purebred Arabian racehorses and the Jockey Club Handicap for locally trained horses. The meeting takes place each year during the last weekend of February at King Abdulaziz racecourse in Riyadh.<\/p>\n<h2>And there\u2019s more sport in store\u2026<\/h2><p>Hosting skiing, snowboarding, ice hockey and figure skating competitions, the 2029 Asian Winter Games will take place in the planned Trojena winter resort in gigaproject development Neom. Meanwhile, football-obsessed Saudi has put in its bid to hold the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Local fans are on the edge of their seats awaiting the results\u2026<\/p>\n<p><em>Partner content presented by Saudi Tourism<\/em><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1667989475,"publishedAt":1667990761,"updatedAt":1667990811,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/11\/09\/saudi-the-new-frontier-for-sporting-adventures","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/26\/00\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_3b91a18d-e336-5612-b11d-61f681496287-7182600.jpg","altText":"Discover the hidden depths of the Red Sea","caption":"Discover the hidden depths of the Red Sea","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"euronews","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":7829,"slug":"sport","urlSafeValue":"sport","title":"Sport","titleRaw":"Sport"},{"id":13560,"slug":"diving","urlSafeValue":"diving","title":"diving","titleRaw":"diving"},{"id":12639,"slug":"travel","urlSafeValue":"travel","title":"Travel","titleRaw":"Travel"},{"id":243,"slug":"saudi-arabia","urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","titleRaw":"Saudi Arabia"}],"related":[{"id":2123948},{"id":2142526}],"technicalTags":[{"path":"sponsor.sauditourism2022"},{"path":"sponsor"}],"widgets":[],"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":{"quotation":null,"description":null,"author":null},"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":null,"contentType":null,"displayOverlay":0},"displayType":"default","video":0,"videos":[],"externalPartners":[],"liveStream":[],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":"Visit Saudi","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"","program":{"id":"sport","urlSafeValue":"sport","title":"Sport","online":0,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/sport"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"sport","urlSafeValue":"sport","title":"Sport","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/sport"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":8,"urlSafeValue":"sport","title":"Sport"},"advertising":1,"advertisingData":{"startDate":1667298677,"endDate":2114332280,"type":"advertisement_feature","isDfp":0,"slug":"visit-saudi-ad","title":"Visit Saudi Ad","disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":"Visit Saudi","sponsorName":"visit-saudi-ad","sponsorUrl":"https:\/\/www.visitsaudi.com\/en","sponsorLogo":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/campaigns\/504\/180x70_cmsv2_96286085-6103-510e-8c2d-e95dbf362efa-504.jpg","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":12,"urlSafeValue":"asia","title":"Asia"},"country":{"id":243,"urlSafeValue":"saudi-arabia","title":"Saudi Arabia","url":"\/news\/asia\/saudi-arabia"},"town":[],"versions":[],"path":"\/2022\/11\/09\/saudi-the-new-frontier-for-sporting-adventures","lastModified":1667990811}]" data-api-url="/api/country/saudi-arabia">
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